The relationship we have with ourselves is the most valuable and impactful one we have. And yet it’s often our most overlooked and ignored relationship.
For me, this is because I’ve struggled with making myself a priority. It felt selfish to ask for what I needed or unproductive to take the time away from others to do “nothing” and recharge. The story I was telling myself was others needs are more important than my own and so I needed to show up for others in all ways, all the time. Regardless of how I was feeling or how it might impact my wellbeing. And while there’s an element of truth to the idea that we do need to be looking out for each other and supporting one another as a community, we need to be doing it with a sense of awareness of our own needs and doing all that we can to find and maintain a balance between the two.
So when the above graphic was brought to my attention by my good friend Kathy, it was a real eye opener for me (thanks Kathy!). We often think about love languages as they relate to our relationships with others. But, what about the relationship with ourselves? When I got curious about this concept of the “self love languages” and how it could impact my life, I came to realize that when it comes to self love, quality time is at the top of the list for me. I enjoy spending time alone as a way of recharging. In fact, I’d go so far as to say I NEED it in my life in order to function effectively and be able to show up in my relationships with others as authentically as possible. And let me tell you, taking the time to do this has allowed me to become more present and more engaged in my relationships with others and myself. I cannot recommend enough taking the time and effort to understand your self love languages and applying them to your lives…
So, how about you? What’s been your experience with self care and self love? Does it come easy to you or do you find it challenging? What self love language do you identify with the most? Let me know in the comments below!
Be kind to yourself today and every day.