This past year has been tough for everyone and while most of us have been focused on the state of the world, we often overlook taking care of ourselves and our mental health. If this sounds like something you can relate to, you’re not alone. Read on to learn more about the importance of loving yourself and the steps you can take to get there.
Make self-love a priority
You may have heard the terms ‘self-love’ and ‘self-care’ get thrown around recently (especially on social media), but do you know what they mean, what makes them different, and why they’re so important to our mental health? Put simply, self-love is having an appreciation for yourself and giving yourself the support you need to succeed every day whether you’re at work or home. This means emphasizing your happiness without having to rely on validation from outside parties. It also means knowing what you deserve and being able to take the right steps to get there. Self-love is important to practice in both bright and dark times as a way to accept your actions and emotions by putting your mental health first.
When we talk self-care, we’re talking about those individual actions that lead to self-love. This means doing things that you like to do (like picking up a hobby or going to see the latest movie releases), talking about yourself with love instead of judgment, and creating healthy habits that will make you feel good about your life.
But why is this all-important? At the core root of it, finding self-love is the most important step to becoming happy with your own life, boosting your positive well-being, and creating a path that you’re excited to walk down. Being content with who you are also allows you to open yourself up to friends, family, and partners to connect with them on a deeper level. On top of this, studies have shown that people who practice self-love deal with less daily stress and have decreased risks for mental health issues such as depression and anxiety.
So, how do you start on your journey to loving yourself? It may seem easier said than done but there are a few key steps to making your well-being a priority. Once you start down the path of self-love, it will become a part of your life instead of feeling like a chore.
Stop comparing yourself to others
It can be easy to scroll through Instagram or turn on the TV and immediately start comparing yourself to the people you see on screen. “I wish I had her body.” “My life seems so boring compared to hers.” “I’ll never be able to wear an outfit like that.” When we think this way, it invalidates our achievements and self-worth to make ourselves seem lesser. Instead of comparing yourself to others, start to think in ways that romanticize your own life. For example, instead of wishing you had someone else’s body, thank your own body for getting you through the difficult times and being the perfect vessel for the happier ones.
Be kind to yourself
We’re all guilty of being hard on ourselves when we make mistakes or are going through challenging times. When we embrace self-love, we’re able to forgive ourselves through those rough patches and push on to brighter days. This also means celebrating yourself every day. Whether that be a bigger milestone like a new job or promotion or a smaller one like finishing the laundry. Every day holds a celebration, no matter if it’s a big or small win.
Live sustainably
Did you know that going green can improve your overall mental health? Living a sustainable life creates a sense of purpose as you work towards a greater goal of preserving our planet. Reducing our impact on the planet makes us feel good about the way we live and minimizes the feeling of guilt as we’re seeing changes to our climate and health of our environment. It also helps to increase mindfulness as you’re more aware of the consequences your actions may have.
Here at Stella Carakasi, sustainability is a core value to our company and the people behind it. Instead of creating fast fashion garments that pollute the earth and end up in landfills, we take it slow to produce a high-quality style that will stay in your collection for years to come. We also create collections with eco-friendly materials like our Tencel® denim collection that will keep you looking and feeling good. You can read more about Tencel® denim and our commitment to sustainability on our blog.
Do the things you love
Creating healthy habits and exploring new hobbies is a crucial step to loving yourself. This could mean doing an at-home spa night every weekend or participating in virtual yoga classes each morning or even volunteering at an animal shelter when you have free time. All of these activities will allow you to connect with yourself and find joy among the more mundane tasks like working or cleaning.
Nourish your body
While a good diet can help us physically feel good, it has a massive impact on the health of our brain as well! A poor diet can lead to tiredness, poor concentration, a lack of energy, and can affect our stress levels. On the flip side, eating nutritious meals can improve our attention span, make us more focused, and keep us feeling awake during the day. But eating nutritious doesn’t have to mean boring meals! We love exploring new, healthy recipes as an act of self-care because we’re able to take time to ourselves and craft something in the kitchen that will fuel our bodies.
Dress for you
While many people may think clothes are just pieces of fabric that we put on our bodies, it’s so much more than that. Clothing allows us to express ourselves through personal style as well as boosts our confidence levels to improve our self-love. Creating the right wardrobe that reflects your taste and makes you feel good is extremely important and is something that we hold very close to our hearts at Stella Carakasi. This is the reason why we create styles meant to flatter different body shapes and sizes to make every woman feel good in their skin.
Not only are our garments sustainable and made to complement different body types, but they’re also meant to keep you comfortable throughout the day no matter what your plans are.
From great tops to comfortable leggings to cozy sweaters and statement jackets, we aim to create high quality clothing that you can feel confident in wearing season after season.
The most important thing to remember is that not everyone’s journey to self-love is going to look the same. What we do and how we feel will always be different, but the most important thing to remember is that you’re taking the steps to get there.
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