Self-Love
In the Realm of Self-Discovery
1: Speak more kindly to yourself by replacing negative self-talk with affirmations.
1: Speak more kindly to yourself by replacing negative self-talk with affirmations. Books
- From Self-Neglect to Compassion – by Hayley Quinn: A roadmap to recognise the habits, unhelpful stories and cyclical beliefs that hold you back and keep you stuck in exhaustion, burnout, guilt and self-criticism, while guiding you to cultivate self-compassion and a new way of relating to yourself.
- Self-Compassion: The Proven Power of Being Kind to Yourself – by Kristin Neff: how to limit self-criticism and offset its negative effects, enabling you to achieve your highest potential and a more contented, fulfilled life through the power of self-compassion.
- Things to Know About Self-Love: 30-Day Affirmation Guide – by Etta Arlene: Every day a new affirmation and ways to use them. Affirmations can be used in place of negative thoughts to help release negative thought patterns. Every time you say something negative about yourself, counter and replace it with a positive one.
Videos
- Overcoming Negative Self-Talk: How You Think Changes How You Feel With Nick Wignall – on YouTube from Therapy in a Nutshell. Lots of views, sound advice.
- Two Steps To Manage Negative Thoughts with Dr. Tracey Marks: we love Dr. Tracey. Great practical tools for changing our negative patterns!
- 6 Negative Stories You Tell Yourself & How to Change Them with Dr. Tracey Marks: Another great practical mental health and transformation video from Dr. Tracey!
- TEDx Talk – How to challenge your negative self-talk with Josh Green: emphasizes the importance of challenging these negative voices, practicing resilience, and embracing opportunities even when feeling unprepared. The talk inspires viewers to overcome fear, start small, seek support, and persist through failures.
2: Check out powerful resources on self-love: books, podcasts, self-love lists, meditations, and more.
Books 📚
- The Path to Self-Love – by Ruby Dhal: Heal Your Heart, Set Healthy Boundaries & Unlock Your Inner Strength. Self-love is not as simple as it sounds. It’s more than basic self-care practices or indulging your every desire—done right, it’s the key to unlocking and fostering true healing.
- How to Be the Love You Seek – by Nicole LePera: Audio or print available. Illuminates the way out of trauma bonds and into relationships rooted in mutual respect and compassion. In it, you will learn how to create safety in your own body and mind; identify your unmet needs; develop emotional resilience; cultivate heart coherence to build deep emotional connections with others; and maintain healthy interdependence in our communities. Lots and lots of actionable tools here!
- The Gifts of Imperfection – by Brene Brown: effective daily practices / ten guideposts to wholehearted living. The guideposts not only help us understand the practices that will allow us to change our lives and families, they also walk us through the unattainable and sabotaging expectations that get in the way.
Meditations on Self-Love
- Headspace Meditation on Self-Love: We all have the capacity for self-love. Learn to use it as a resource that can help you show up better in your daily life with this meditation by Carlos.
- A Guided Meditation for Self-Love from Yoga International
- 2-Hour Guided Self-Love Meditation – on Insight Timer: Two whole hours of self-love development through meditation / rest.
- 20-min Self-Love Meditation – on Insight Timer: helps to connect with yourself and to be more kind and loving. An invitation to take care of the most important person in your life.
30-Day Self-Love Practices
- 30-Day Self-Love Challenge – from Dear Self, Grow: a day by day, week by week challenge with actionable steps for each day. Try it!
- 30-Day Guided Self-Care Challenge – from Alfrey & Pruitt Counseling: This includes self-love specifically as a step – but self-care is self-love and vice versa, right? This has day by day steps/actions and there’s a download/printable version of the challenge.
- The 30-days of Self-Challenge – from learningtobefree.com: This one is aimed at women, but honestly, the daily action steps are so fun, easy & loving that anyone can/should do them. Check it out!
- 31-Day Self-Care Challenge for MEN – from Paul Bashea Williams: This is a month-long calendar with a concrete action step each day. Very doable and beneficial. Try this for one month!
- 30 Day Self-Love Challenge – from lovebecca.com: Self-Love is the best love! Love these daily, doable actions – 1 per day. At the end of the month, you’ve really done something beautiful.
Podcasts 🎧
- The Self-Love Podcast – with Elaine Denton: really good topics and conversations here. Real wisdom on how you can learn more about yourself and create your unique journey back to ‘you’.
- The Affirmations Oasis – Podcast with Self-Love Goddess Chic: your oasis for affirmations, honest reflections, healing conversations, and reminders that you are already enough — even while you’re growing.
3: Immerse yourself in a 30-day Self-Love challenge or do a meditation on Self-Love every day for 40 days.
Meditations on Self-Love
- Headspace Meditation on Self-Love: We all have the capacity for self-love. Learn to use it as a resource that can help you show up better in your daily life with this meditation by Carlos.
- A Guided Meditation for Self-Love from Yoga International
- 2-Hour Guided Self-Love Meditation – on Insight Timer: Two whole hours of self-love development through meditation / rest.
- 20-min Self-Love Meditation – on Insight Timer: helps to connect with yourself and to be more kind and loving. An invitation to take care of the most important person in your life.
30-Day Self-Love Practices
- 30-Day Self-Love Challenge – from Dear Self, Grow: a day by day, week by week challenge with actionable steps for each day. Try it!
- 30-Day Guided Self-Care Challenge – from Alfrey & Pruitt Counseling: This includes self-love specifically as a step – but self-care is self-love and vice versa, right? This has day by day steps/actions and there’s a download/printable version of the challenge.
- The 30-days of Self-Challenge – from learningtobefree.com: This one is aimed at women, but honestly, the daily action steps are so fun, easy & loving that anyone can/should do them. Check it out!
- 31-Day Self-Care Challenge for MEN – from Paul Bashea Williams: This is a month-long calendar with a concrete action step each day. Very doable and beneficial. Try this for one month!
- 30 Day Self-Love Challenge – from lovebecca.com: Self-Love is the best love! Love these daily, doable actions – 1 per day. At the end of the month, you’ve really done something beautiful.
Podcasts 🎧
- The Affirmations Oasis – Podcast with Self-Love Goddess Chic: your oasis for affirmations, honest reflections, healing conversations, and reminders that you are already enough — even while you’re growing.
4: Consider a mirror exercise for self-love involving loving affirmations.
Practices & Guides
- What is Mirror Work? – article and practices by Louise Hay: As you learn to do mirror work, you will become much more aware of the words you say and the things you do. You will learn to take care of yourself on a deeper level than you have done before.
Book(s) 📚
- Mirror Work – by Louise Hay: 21 day guidebook to The Mirror Principle, one of Louise’s core teachings. It holds that our experience of life mirrors our relationship with ourselves; unless we see ourselves as loveable, the world can be a dark and lonely place.
Podcasts 🎧
- 21-Day Mirror Work Podcast: puts the work of Louise Hay into a 21 day podcast that you can listen and follow, taking action each day with your mirror work. Pretty cool way to use a podcast actually.