Self-love & affirmations
As we approach and look forward to celebrating Valentine’s Day this month, we at Supportive Engagement would like to invite you all to consider being your own Valentine this year. We invite you to intentionally focus on self-love, self-care, and allowing yourself to take up space, as you are. “You are allowed to be both a masterpiece and a work in progress, simultaneously” – Sophia Bush. A phrase that comes up in sessions often and can be difficult to grasp is that “two things can be true at the same time.” We can be imperfect and worthy, simultaneously.
Self-love is defined as “having a high regard for your own well-being and happiness.” Self-love can also be defined as “taking care of your own needs and not sacrificing your well-being to please others.” While we may always have the human need for safety, belonging, a sense of community, and external validation, it is possible to achieve a sense of balance between nurturing our relationships with others and nurturing our relationships with ourselves. I personally believe that the most important relationship one will ever have is the relationship you have with yourself. If we are expecting ourselves to pour from an empty cup and/or sacrifice our well-being for the needs and well-being of others, we can only get so far in regards to our mental well-being. We understand that every electronic device we own needs to be charged at some point and yet we expect ourselves to operate at optimal capacity without prioritizing time and energy towards recharging our own batteries.
We here at Supportive Engagement encourage you to reflect on the following quote by Alex Elle, “Reconsider talking down to yourself when you backtrack. Self-hatred is not fertile ground for your healing and growth. Self-forgiveness and compassion are.” With that being said, we invite you to intentionally practice self-love with affirmations such as “I am worthy of love and kindness”, “I am enough just as I am”, “I am not for everyone and that’s okay”, and “I am trying my best and that is enough.” We also invite you to intentionally practice self-care with habits and/or rituals such as morning stretches, deep breathing exercises, nature walks, talking to yourself only with love and respect, making time for things you love, learning to say no to things that don’t serve you, decluttering your home and work space, exercising, making a list of things you love about yourself, and gratitude journaling. Among these ideas, we hope that you are open to experimenting with whatever helps you feel the most loved, worthy, and validated, as you are.
Happy Valentine’s Day from us at Supportive Engagement to you.
Written by: Karla Moyse, LMHC, CCATP,TF-CBT Certified Therapist