Self-love & bad habits

Do you have some habits that really don't serve you? That, perhaps, in fact, aren't good for you? Me, too. Yesterday I was thinking about some of those—for example, the mindless eating I sometimes do when I binge watch my favorite TV shows on Netflix. Most times, it's not that I'm hungry. So what am I really looking for? A saying from Weight Watchers comes to mind: "Feel your feelings; don't feed them."

All of this reflection caused me to think more about self-love again. We hear often that if we don't love ourselves, we can't truly love others. And we do hear a lot these days about the importance of self-love. But we don't always know just how to do that. I will confess I'm still learning that myself.

It is probably like any other habit we want to develop. It takes intention first of all. And then it takes some unlearning of old habits that get in the way, such as the mindless eating one I mentioned. Then we need to practice good self-care. We can act "as if" we're already there by caring for ourselves in every way: getting enough sleep, exercise, healthy and strong relationships, nutritious food and other important elements to keep us at our best. Setting good boundaries for ourselves is a good practice to show self-love, too. That means setting limits on people and activities that harm us. And, of course, it's essential to forgive ourselves for things we have said or done that don't really fit with our values—and let go of shame surrounding those things.

What would you add to this list? I'd love to hear your thoughts. Here's to us all learning how to love ourselves well!