It’s been such a long time Beauties - I would apologise, but I’m not sorry! Why not? Because I’ve been focussing a lot on releasing guilt and fear and instead embracing freedom, permission and self-compassion.
Unsurprisingly - it’s a hell of a lot more fun consciously choosing the later! And there is an awesome and powerful side effect of taking a self-talk approach of “Hey, it’s cool you’re human after all / You alone are not responsible for saving the planet, so take the pressure off!
It’s a side effect that feels like lightness. Literally.
My shoulders relax. My brow un-furrows. And the tension in my jaw dissolves (and this is coming from someone who has been a teeth grinder). And the physical shift means I feel more comfortable in my body. Feeling comfortable in my body means I’m not alienating myself from myself! Awesome huh?!
So over the next few weeks I’ll be sharing with you my favourite and most effective ways to cultivate self-love, joy and a sense of ease in your daily life.
Today you get my number one tip for feeling OK (and then some), so that you can allow imperfection and even fuck-ups (ie. LIFE basically) to feel more like a temporary setbacks, and less like chaos theory manifest, sending you into a downward spiral of self-loathing and netflix binging!
It goes like this: “I deeply love and accept myself exactly as I am”.
That’s it. Seriously. No magic. No PhD in psychology. Simple AF.
I got this mantra from Louise “Rest-in-Power” Hay. The Queen of affirmations and using thought to transform one's inner and outer worlds has a whole host of books and process (see Mirror Work) all about the ability and proven success that dedicated mental application to positive thoughts and actions has on optimise our experiences and improving our quality life.
(NB. I don’t advocate ‘happy thoughts’ as a remedy for mental health issues, please seek professional support and advice).
I started using “I deeply love and accept myself exactly as I am” it in June 2016 and it’s been so powerful, but particularly in softening my inner critic, to the point where this thought and belief is my default response to any and all shit and strife!
So for the sceptics out there, experiment with this statement first thing in the morning; try saying it when you’re staring back at yourself in the mirror, or at least think it over and over whilst brushing your teeth, at the very least. You could even make it your smart phone background. Write it on a sheet of paper and stick it on the back of the toilet door. Be creative! I don’t care where, but whatever you do make it a part of your thought process every single day. Now!
So use the mantra. Stop wasting energy in denial, or refuting the possibility of it’s power. Try it this week. Just a wee test. I dare you. This mantra has changed, and continues to change my life in the best way possible.
Let me know how you get on, beauty.