Self-Love During Lockdown

It's an odd time. One moment you're motivated and ready to tick off your to-do list, and the next you are physically and mentally drained. The point of this post is to say that however you feel, that is perfectly okay. We are living through trauma, and it's of paramount importance that we not only look out for other people, but also ourselves.

I just wanted to say firstly that self-love isn't just about buying products that promise to change your life. In fact, the more of these products I buy, the more depressed it makes me. The best way to show yourself self-love is through loving and accepting yourself for who you are. Your skin may always be a bit dry; your hair may never be as shiny as you'd like, and there is no magic remedy for longer legs. If you never make peace with these things, you'll always end up feeling inadequate and searching for validation. Self-love comes from knowing that you are not perfect in every way, and that is what makes you perfect.

My favourite Bridget Jones quote:

"First off, I embarrass you. I can't ski, I can't ride, I can't speak Latin, my legs only come up to here and yes, I will always be just a little bit fat. And you, you fold your underpants before you go to bed."

Here are some of the ways you can practise some self-love during lockdown:

• Maintain some level of normality, e.g. go to bed at an acceptable time, do work at a certain time each day
• Listen to some good playlists- I'm listening to Cigarettes After Sex in the background as I write this- it's so calming
• Don't put too much pressure on yourself to be productive all the time. You don't need to have read every single book on your bookshelf and have ten blog posts written in order to go to bed happy. You need to give yourself more credit for the things you do achieve, and don't be so hard on yourself
• Get dressed, brush your teeth, and eat breakfast every morning
• Make to-do lists for the day/week ahead. This might include applying for student finance, hoovering, cleaning your makeup brushes, and making progress with an
  online course
• Keep in contact with friends and family via the internet. Google Hangouts has some great games to play remotely!
• Spend time looking after your hair and skin- develop a routine that works for you!
• Take time to enjoy your hobbies, e.g. baking, art, writing

This post was a collaboration with one of my best friends, Beth. She has also written a post, which you can read on her blog here. 

What is your favourite way to look after yourself? What is the biggest lie society has told you about self-love?

Marti