psychology
5 rituals for more self-love
© Iryna Imago / Shutterstock
Preaching self-love is easy, but actually living it is all the more difficult. We have a few practical tips for you that really help – including advice from Guido Maria Kretschmer personally.
Loving others is easy for us. Most of the time it even happens by itself, we don’t have to and can’t do anything about it and then it is there, this diffuse feeling of affection. When we watch our best friend tell us about her day, while we hug our grandmother or when the partner smiles at us happily. In other people, it is usually even the small imperfections that we particularly appreciate. The little mistakes they make, the peculiarities and quirks that make them human, approachable and special for us. With ourselves, love is one of those things.
Self-love has been preached so much in recent years that it should actually flow through our veins like blood. Everywhere we are told that we should accept our bodies and ourselves as we are, the current ideal of beauty is thrown overboard and individualization is a top priority. But even though we talk about it a lot, self-love is not that easy to achieve. At home, when we are alone, it is sometimes difficult for us. Not only when we stand in front of the mirror, but also when we lie awake at night and take apart the smallest words that we would have preferred to say during the day or rather withheld.
Self-love is not just about accepting your body. In addition to the exterior, the acceptance of our interior also plays a major role. In our competitive society, we are so focused on getting ahead that we tend to forget to swim at our own pace. How can we learn to recognize, accept, and follow our own needs? That is the heart of self-love – and that doesn’t strengthen overnight. Rather, it needs regular training. We have a few exercises for you that we do every day – including insider tips from Guido Maria Kretschmer personally. And as is well known, it is best to train together. Are you participating
Practice a yoga flow every day
Yoga has become a competition in recent years that completely contradicts the core of the philosophy: Yoga is about being completely with you. No comparisons. No glances at the mat next door. It’s not about who can touch the ground with their hands first, but about how your body feels and what personal limits it shows us. Above all, yoga flows help clear your head and listen to your inner self. The sequence of a flow is based on the breathing rhythm and is therefore like a dynamic meditation in which you tense and feel every part of the body. Really works – even if it’s only 10 minutes.
Discover your own crème de la crème
This self-love ritual can be easily incorporated into everyday life – and it was recommended to us personally by Guido Maria Kretschmer in an interview:
“I’m a big fan of touching and applying lotion. Then you have everything in your hand once a day and you know: this is my body, this is my now. This is how you develop a completely different contact with your body,” he said Designers advise us. And we’ll try it out right away, because not only our self-confidence thanks us, but also our skin.
Feel the wind, sun or rain on your face once a day
Sounds poetic, but anyone who has ever been blown through on the North Sea knows that the weather helps. In both directions. Sun rays on the skin ensure that we automatically rummage comfortably and warm, wind and water wake us up. This ritual is primarily based on mindfulness: go out once a day, feel the weather and yourself again, pause. Plus: In nature, your own problems often seem very minor.
Banish and replace a malicious Insta account every day
Social media can make self-love harder or easier – it’s in our own hands. That’s why we now part with a subscribed Instagram channel every day, which damages our self-confidence. And subscribe to someone who does us better – with more realism.
Friend: Make an imperfect compliment inside
When your best friend tells you about a flaw, we often realize that we would never have noticed it. By giving our fellow human beings more honest compliments, we strengthen ourselves at the same time – because we learn bit by bit that what is lovable lies in what is imperfect. We don’t have to love our belly rolls. But we don’t have to hate ourselves for them either, because they don’t define us. As Guido Maria Kretschmer said:
If there is one tip from me, it would be that we should simply accept what is supposedly imperfect, in ourselves and also in others. I think you should always be your own biggest fan.