We’ve made it through the first week of 2023 so give yourself a pat on the back. New beginnings are exciting, but they can be challenging too. There’s a lot of pressure around this time of year to create resolutions and establish new goals. If I had a dollar every time I read “new year, new me” or someone pledging to lose 20 pounds...
A lot of us are making fitness goals to be our healthiest selves this year. This is great but it’s important to keep our “why” in mind.
Why do we want to hit the gym? Is it because we’re striving for health, loving ourselves, and wanting to be around as long as we can?
Or is it because we feel unworthy the way we are?
Throughout the week I’ve seen a lot of social media accounts talking about an important topic: We can’t hate ourselves into change. Sure, we can make temporary changes backed by self-hate, but does that really help us love ourselves? That path doesn’t lead to one of self-love. It pulls us into a negative cycle where we never believe we’re good enough.
So, what do we do, where do we go from here?
Remember that your mental health is just as important as your physical health. Try meeting yourself with curiosity and ask, “What do I need?” You’re more likely to take care of your body if your mind is in a good place.
Love, awareness, and self-compassion are your besties! No one is perfect and no one loves themselves 100% of the time but you can choose to be gentle with yourself. It takes time, and just like every other skill, it takes practice.
We all deserve to care for ourselves (inside & out). It can be hard to accept that we are worthy of love just the way we are today, but you can do hard things!