Loving Yourself Better: A Sacred Journey of Self-Care

"You are imperfect, permanently and inevitably flawed. And you are beautiful." – Amy Bloom

In a world that constantly urges us to strive for perfection, it’s easy to lose sight of our innate beauty. We hold ourselves to impossibly high standards, measuring our worth by achievements, appearances, and external validation. But what if we embraced our imperfections as part of what makes us uniquely beautiful? What if, instead of striving for perfection, we focused on loving ourselves better?

The Essence of Loving Yourself Better

Loving yourself is not about arrogance or self-indulgence—it’s about honoring your worth and treating yourself with the same kindness you so freely give to others. It’s about recognizing that your value is not conditional upon meeting societal expectations, but rather an intrinsic truth.

Self-care is the vessel through which we nurture this love. When we tend to our mind, body, and spirit with care and compassion, we reinforce the truth that we are deserving of love—just as we are.

Practical Ways to Love Yourself Better

1. Speak to Yourself with Kindness

Pay attention to your inner dialogue. Are you your own harshest critic? Replace self-judgment with words of encouragement. Speak to yourself as you would a dear friend.

2. Embrace Your Imperfections

Your scars, quirks, and mistakes are part of your story. Instead of seeing them as flaws, view them as testaments to your resilience and growth.

3. Prioritize Rest and Nourishment

Your body carries you through each day—honor it with adequate rest, nourishing foods, and gentle movement that brings you joy.

4. Create a Sacred Self-Care Ritual

Whether it’s journaling, meditation, or soaking in a warm bath, set aside intentional time to care for yourself. These moments remind you that you are worthy of love and attention.

5. Set Boundaries That Honor You

Protect your energy by setting boundaries with people, work, and situations that drain you. Loving yourself means saying no when needed and prioritizing your well-being.

6. Connect with What Brings You Joy

Do more of what lights up your soul. Whether it’s creative expression, time in nature, or meaningful connections, joy is a powerful act of self-love.

7. Practice Gratitude for Yourself

Each day, acknowledge something about yourself that you appreciate. Your strength, your kindness, your perseverance—celebrate the unique essence of you.

You Are Enough

Self-love is not a destination but a practice—one that requires patience, grace, and commitment. As you embark on this journey, remember that you are already whole. You are beautifully imperfect, and that is enough.

So today, take a deep breath and whisper to yourself: I am worthy. I am loved. I am enough.

This article is based on our Deep Dive curriculum for February where we’re focusing on Loving Yourself Better. You can join us HERE.

Self-Care for Inner Peace

First Published on The Wellness Universe blog on Sept. 4, 2024.

As I write this article, we are in the middle of a bathroom remodel. My husband is doing the work himself, and things are taking way longer than we anticipated. So, our home is in chaos. Did I mention this is our only bathroom? It requires lots of planning and logistics to make sure we are able to use the facilities for the bare necessities of life.

We are also expecting our son, his family, and their 100-pound puppy to be visiting us early next week. My momma and nana hearts are so thrilled, and I wish our home was in pristine condition. It’s not.

Does this sound like a recipe for inner peace?

I could choose to be in a snit because things aren’t happening according to my timeframe, making me and my husband miserable, or I could pause and take a moment to make an intentional choice for peace.

I choose to nurture my inner peace; very empowering indeed.

Did you know that inside the eye of the hurricane is the most peaceful part of the storm? There, amidst the swirling gale-force winds, pounding rain, and potential destruction of things it encounters, inner peace and stillness are found inside.

We’ll use the eye of the hurricane metaphor as a reminder that inner peace is an inside job. We generate inner peace when we focus on it, not just when everything is perfectly peaceful and serene in our lives.

So even if there are boxes everywhere and the bathroom isn’t perfect by the time they arrive, I plan to be filled with peace and focus on the precious gift of having my son and his family’s presence in our home. I plan to generate love and contentment so that they are comfortable and feel welcome so that we all remember this visit with fond memories for years to come.

I could choose to focus on the negative, that our home is in disarray and not perfect for our loved ones' arrival, or I could focus on what matters most to me: visiting my family and being a beacon of love and welcoming light.

I’ve made my choice for the most peaceful and loving me I can be because I am the only one who has any control over my own inner peace. I choose to use my personal power for my desires and not give it away to external forces or conditions.

My peace of mind is an inside job, and so is yours too, dear reader.

We can be at peace inside the proverbial eye of the hurricane. No matter what is happening around us or how big the storm of life appears, we have our center, our inner peace, our inner sanctum of contentment despite it all. That is nurturing peace from the inside out. That is stepping into your power and shining. That is how to be brave.

Creating peace from the inside out involves cultivating a harmonious inner state that radiates outward into your life despite the noise or obstacles in our way. Here are a dozen ways you can nurture your inner peace:

1. Create Sacred Space

• Designate a physical or mental space that allows you to connect with yourself deeply. This could be a quiet room, a favorite chair, or a moment of mindfulness.
  
  

• Carve out a sacred space in a corner of your home, workspace, desk, or car that holds meaningful objects that help bring you peace and tranquility.
  
  

• Create a sacred space playlist of your favorite music or meditations that bring a sense of peace and tranquility when you need it most.
  
  
  

2. Good Self-Care

• Prioritize your well-being by eating nourishing foods, getting enough rest, exercising, and engaging in activities that rejuvenate your spirit.
  
  

• Remember to give yourself grace if you don’t live up to your expectations; you can always start again in the next moment. Be good to yourself.
  
  
  

3. Breathe

• Practice mindful breathing. Deep, slow breaths help calm the nervous system and bring you back to the present moment.
  
  

4. Intentional Action

• Move through your day with purpose. Consider what actions align with your values and contribute to your overall peace.
  
  

5. Being Present

• Focus on the here and now. Let go of past regrets and future worries, anchoring yourself in the present. I often stop to look at the beauty around me, listen to the windchimes, watch the hummingbirds at the feeder, or watch the clouds float by. Even popping out to the yard for a few moments helps tremendously.
  
  

6. Focus on Priorities

• Identify what truly matters to you and dedicate your time and energy to those priorities, letting go of distractions.
  
  

7. Find the Humor in the Situation

• Lighten your heart and mind by finding humor, even in challenging situations. Laughter can be a powerful tool for creating inner peace, and it’s true that laughter is good medicine.
  
  

8. This, Too, Shall Pass

• Remember that all things are temporary. Accept the changing tides of life to help release stress and maintain peace. All storms eventually end.
  
  

9. Find Your Sanctuary

• Identify your personal sanctuary—a place or state of being where you feel safe, calm, and at peace. This might be a physical location or a mental state you retreat to in times of stress.
  
  

10. Retreat to Nature

• Spend time in nature to reconnect with the earth and yourself. The natural world has a grounding effect that can help put our cares in perspective and help calm and restore our inner peace.
  
  

11. Balance

• Strive for balance in all areas of your life. When your physical, emotional, and spiritual needs are met, you create a stable foundation for peace.
  
  

12. Shifting the Narrative from “I Can’t” to “How Can I?”

• Change your mindset from one of limitation to one of possibility. This empowers you to find solutions rather than dwell on obstacles.
  
  

By integrating these practices into your daily life, you can create a lasting sense of peace that begins within and radiates outward.

I hope that these tips and this article will benefit you, dear reader, as you nurture your peace from the inside out, which is excellent self-care because you are worthy and deserving of every good thing flowing to you always.

Get your Self-Care Strategies PDF booklet, which includes ways to begin or enhance your self-care routine. It's my gift to you, and it includes affirmation cards and a word search puzzle, too. Sign up HERE.

If you'd like to map out a personalized self-care plan, prioritize your well-being further with a 1:1 session with Janette. Find out more HERE.

Decluttering, Remodeling, and Positivity

We have been remodeling our bathroom, our only bathroom. With the heat and doing the work ourselves (mostly my hubby), it's a long process. It also requires lots of coordination when using the facilities.

There is dust everywhere. We try to keep it to a minimum, but it finds its way into every little nook and cranny of our home.

We shopped for new wall and floor tiles, a bathtub, a medicine cabinet, towel racks, and lights ahead of time, traipsing through several home improvement stores and specialty tile warehouses.

The process can be overwhelming, exhausting, and messy.

We have lots of home improvement projects to do, and my husband is ready and anxious to get them going. I’m blessed to have a handy husband who saves us lots of money and does high-quality work.

He had to go into the attic to replace the exhaust fan piping and clear a path of clutter to do so. 

That meant we were finally beginning to deal with the years of clutter up there. So many boxes and bags of things we tucked away over the years were being excavated and re-examined. 
It's messy and dirty and requires action.

What do we do with all of this stuff? 

A lot of it is going away to bless others. Baby clothes we never used were tucked away up there. 

I've washed and folded them all, and they were donated to bless other families. 

It felt good to have a car full of items to bless others with.

Some are "treasures" our son needs to look at and decide their fate when he visits next month. 

It'll be great when the remodeling and decluttering are finished, but right now, it's messy and chaotic. For example, our new bathtub was delivered last week and is on the patio in its cardboard box, about the size and shape of a coffin, until my hubby is ready to install it. 

He joked around that we could save the box and bury him in it when his time comes. We are finding ways to enjoy the process, and humor helps a lot.

Another concern is properly disposing of the construction debris. Our current solid waste services don’t take or hold everything, so we’ve got homework to do.

We have a local metal recycler who will be happy to have our old tub and metal medicine cabinet once they’re removed. That’s a win-win for us and him.

I've been taking good care of myself during this whole process. Staying hydrated, cool, and well-rested has been a priority. My husband's health, safety, and nutrition are also priorities. 

A huge part of my self-care is seeing the big picture and knowing that today's inconvenience and mess won’t last forever. One day, in the not-too-distant future, we’ll have a gleaming new bathroom that will not only please our eyes but also increase our home value.

We were talking about our new bathroom this morning and I teased my hubby that it will soon be Pinterest ready. He is really excited to see the final project, too.

Today, floor tiles are going in, and the plan is to also paint the wall behind where the new vanity and medicine cabinet will be.

We chose a soothing green called jojoba, and we’re anxious to see how it brightens up the room.

I write this article as a beautiful reminder to please take extra good care of yourself. There is so much going on in our world right now that can make us feel wobbly, stressed, and uncertain. 

A great self-care tip is to stop and consciously breathe in the midst of chaos to help balance and center yourself.

Place your hand on your heart, take a second to focus on taking a big, deep, beautiful breath, let it out…in…out…repeat as needed, and enjoy the sense of peace that rushes in with this boost of oxygen surging into every cell of your precious body, dear heart.

I have a gift for you to help you begin or enhance your self-care practice. It’s especially helpful during times of stress or chaos. It’s a PDF full of tips, tools, and ways to help you prioritize yourself.

Self-care isn’t selfish; it’s a way to honor the precious gift of your life. Get your gift HERE.

I am sending you so much love.