Accepting and loving yourself 

One of the most important parts of caring for yourself whether you are dealing with an illness or are healthy is to really love yourself. To accept yourself for exactly who you are with all of your flaws, your past mistakes, your challenges, your imperfections; this is the cornerstone to extreme self-care. 

When we can accept who we really are it naturally enhances our ability to speak up, be heard and communicate our needs in a loving and compassionate way. I am in awe of Cheryl Richardson, author of the book 'The Art of Extreme Self-Care'. Through her life stories and personal challenges she takes you on a 12 month journey in exploring the art of extreme self-care. The strategies and techniques take time and research shows that it takes us 30 days to change a habit or create a new one. Each month Richardson presents a new challenge and technique for accomplishing your extreme self-care. 

Turning inward and finding your soul 

When was the last time you looked into your own eyes in the mirror and said, 'I love you'? It sounds silly and simple but in reality it's anything but silly or simple. This is an intimate and expressly personal act which makes doing this difficult. When we are able to express unconditional love for ourselves we touch our very inner being and begin to fully understand that we are in fact a shining soul inhabiting an earthly body. 

When I accept myself, I am freed from the  
burden of needing you to accept me. 
- Dr. Steve Maraboli 

We are free to express ourselves and be truly authentic. There is no shame in the mistakes we have made and will make in the future, simply opportunities to learn and grow. We become more patient with ourselves and others and speak up more often. Other aspects of our life will change as well; we are more discerning with what and who we allow in our lives and what we put into our bodies.  

Developing a loving relationship with yourself 

By developing this loving relationship with ourselves we open up to a completely new life experience. We'll still have our challenges and hurdles to overcome but our ability to recognize the signs of stress and care for ourselves immediately will become second nature. We were not born to live in misery and disconnection from ourselves. We were born to live, to experience, to love and to grow.  

Here are some of the best tips for starting on this journey of loving yourself: 

These tips will start you on a journey of self-discovery. There will most likely be some difficult and uncomfortable issues and feelings that will come up but by sticking with the practices listed above you will be able to show yourself the love and care to handle anything in your path.