30 Day Challenge: Self-Love

In the spirit of Valentine’s Day, this month’s 30 Day Challenge is self-love. We’ll be sharing self-love advice all month long. Valentine’s Day is traditionally about romantic relationships, but I think one of the most important keys to a successful relationship is feeling happy and confident on your own. I’m definitely not a relationship expert, but I’ve always thought that looking for someone to make you whole is not the right mindset. I think you should feel whole on your own and look for someone who makes you even happier and the best version of yourself.

Here’s What I’m Going to Do: 

1. Schedule Me Time: I’m going to set aside time to focus on myself. Whether it’s taking an extra long bath or shower, getting in bed early with a book, journaling, or cooking and enjoying a healthy meal. I’m also going to take Jordyn’s recommendation to ask these questions: What are your goals? How are you working toward your intentions? Are you happy with your relationships? Which areas of your life are causing you stress? How can you alleviate yourself from these concerns?
2. Stick to My Morning Routine: I’ve talked about it multiple times, but my morning routine is really important to me. It sets the tone for the entire day. I go to a gym class almost every morning. I take a quick shower, get ready, then grab coffee and read The Skimm, Buzzfeed News, Broadsheet, and The New York Times on my commute. Some days, I’ll get together with my mom or friends for breakfast.
3. Write in My Journal: Okay, I haven’t been so great about journaling last month (although I bought a gorgeous journal). I tried to journal on my commute home but it’s hard to get a seat and after writing all day, sometimes I just want to zone out with a good book or podcast. Luckily, Jordyn will be sharing her journaling prompts with us this month!
4. Share Self-Love at Work: I’m going to take my own advice for sharing accomplishments at work!
5. Take Saturday’s Off: Taking Saturdays off from blogging and freelance writing has been so nice. I’m going to continue this month!

What I Learned in January:

Last month’s 30 Day Challenge was Clean Eating. It was a lot easier than I thought. Now I don’t really crave processed foods (except for fro-yo…). My go-to breakfast was Fage 0% Greek Yogurt with honey. My go-to snacks were nuts, homemade trail mix, apples with peanut butter, and carrots. Sometimes I packed lunch but, after I forgot lunch on my counter one day (oops), I went to lunch with a coworker and realized how great it is to go to lunch with coworkers/friends. I’ll still pack once or twice a week but, once we started inviting people to lunch more people started coming and it has been such a great way to get to know people better. Plus, once I get back to my desk after eating out, I’m more focused and creative. The biggest change was that my skin looks brighter and I ate a lot less junk food.

How do you practice self-love? I’d love to know your tips!