8 Simple Ways to Love Yourself More This Year 11 February 2019 Bliss Team No comments Categories: Guest Post, Inspiration, Self Care It may be a new year, but self-love is always in vogue. If one of your goals is to appreciate yourself more, then you’ve come to the right place. These 8 simple ways to love yourself will get you feeling more comfortable in your own skin than ever before. Fit in some self-care everyday Self-care isn’t a once-a-month gig. To properly cultivate a sense of equilibrium and inner wellbeing, you need to dedicate at least 30 minutes per day to taking care of number one. You weren’t born to serve others, and the least you deserve is half an hour of uninterrupted me-time to get you ready for the next day. What you do to relax is entirely up to you. some people adore a long bath, while others prefer a good book or TV series. Take yourself on a solo break For many people, even the act of sitting in a café and having lunch alone is a big step. It can take some serious willpower to forget about what other people think of you, and to just luxuriate in being alone. Once you do, though, it’s the most freeing thing in the world. When you’ve graduated from the solo café trip, you might consider taking yourself further afield. When’s the last time you travelled by yourself? Maybe it’s time to do that European walking tour you’ve always dreamed about. Believe that you can, and you will People who grab opportunities, take chances, and doggedly pursue their ambitions truly succeed in life. They don’t always win, but they never shy away from fighting for what they want. This kind of determination nurtures the soul just as much as any pampering night. Take inspiration from the women you know who thrive in typically male-dominated sectors or industries. Determined women have risen to the top ranks of trucking companies, and have become CEO of a law firm. These ladies needed self-belief to get where they are, and set a fantastic example for the rest of us. Stop putting yourself down Humility is a virtue. When you’re modest to the point of actually denying your talents and achievements, however, self-destruction can ensue. Enjoy celebrating your wins! That new promotion or personal triumph needs recognition – most of all, by you. Figure out the kind of exercise you actually enjoy Think back to the types of activities you enjoyed as a kid, and determine the type of exercise which will make youhappy. There are so many inside-out benefits to getting active! Don’t compare yourself to others There’s no better testament to the phrase “comparison is the thief of joy” than social media. Although these platforms were created to better connect us with others, they’ve actually turned out to be detrimental to our self-esteem and wellbeing. Consider whether it may be time to take a break from comparing yourself to thousands of curated social media platforms. Treat others as you would treat yourself This doesn’t mean whitewashing your own flaws, but accepting them as a part of you,along with the good. Be objective in your relationship with yourself so that you don’t get lost in the mire of self-loathing. Forgive your past mistakes, and cultivate a sense of positivity about the future. Perhaps most of all, become your own best friend. Make your life a story Committing the daily events of your life to pen and paper is a way to value your personal narrative. Writing in a journal can be a fantastic way to step back and reflect. What’s making you happy? Alternatively, are there parts of your life you need to change? About the Author: Harper is an adventurer, freelance creative writer and Japanese Anime geek. She loves nothing more than long bubble baths, unplanned getaways with her partner, Max, or kisses from their furry babies! You can visit her personal blog here– be sure to come say hi!
What Does it Mean to be Authentic? 22 October 2018 Bliss Team No comments Categories: Individual Therapy, Inspiration, Relationships, Self Care, Therapy “Authenticity is not something we have or don’t have. It’s a practice – a conscious choice of how we want to live. Authenticity is a collection of choices that we have to make every day. It’s about the choice to show up and be real. The choice to be honest. The choice to let our true selves be seen.” – Brené Brown Being authentic means feeling comfortable sharing your flaws and failures as much as your triumphs and successes, and that you don’t need to be liked by others to feel as though you matter. It is a true recognition that you matter regardless of what others think, and being able to embrace your weaknesses as much as your strengths. Being authentic means not striving to be what others expect us to be, or even what we think we are supposed to be, but rather loving the most vulnerable parts of ourselves. It means knowing that we can form opinions on our own, and to voice those opinions in a way that holds true to our values. Most importantly, being authentic means staying true to our core values, even when they are different from someone else’s. We have all had those moments where we faked being happy when what we really wanted to do was fall apart. Why do we do that? Because we have been programmed to believe that who we are isn’t enough, and that how we feel isn’t ok. We are taught very early in life that people will only truly like us if we present them with something that feels good to them. This fear often holds us back from being authentically ourselves. Imagine arriving to work, and when asked “how are you today?” you actually respond with how you are feeling; “I am feeling awful, my kids were having complete meltdowns” or maybe it sounds like, “my morning was horrible, my husband and I got into an argument”. Most of us would never say these things, even though they are exactly what we are experiencing and feeling. Of course there may be some people you aren’t willing to share that information with, and that’s okay too! Being authentic means doing and sharing what we feel when we want to, and with whom we want to share that with. Being authentic means not being scared to share those feelings in order to make others more comfortable, and sharing what we want to based on what we may need in that moment. Lastly, I want to emphasize that being authentic isn’t something that we have to search for, it is being exactly who we are. To each person this will look different, and that is what is so beautiful about authenticity! Written by Bliss therapist Tammy Benwell. Learn more about Tammy and get her secret “Tips From the Couch” here. If you liked this article you might enjoy these too: Others Will Treat You The Way You Let Them – 3 Keys to Boundary Setting Good News: There’s No Such Thing As Bad Feelings Why We Need to Stop “Agreeing to Disagree” Do you have any questions for us? We’re happy to help! Get in touch with us here. If you’re interested in booking your first appointment with Bliss, you can do that here.