15 Ways To Practice Self-Love This Fall
When was the last time you took care of yourself? Probably too long. These days, it’s hard to find the time to practice self-love, and it can take a significant toll on us physically and mentally. This fall, take the time to put yourself first!
Often times, we don’t feel worthy of this or that, but the truth is—you deserve to be happy! Take the time to be the best version of yourself with these 15 ways to practice self-love this fall!
1. Drink More Tea
Believe it or not, tea can actually be good for you and be just as effective as coffee! Along with the morning, pick-me-up tea can give you, it also comes in lots of different flavors and can help your health.
Most people who don’t like tea just haven’t found the right blend for them. Lucky for you, there are hundreds of brands and flavors on the market, and coffee shops often also have great tea as well! The best thing about tea is added health benefits. No matter how you feel, there is a tea for that. Can’t sleep? Try chamomile tea. Feeling nauseous? Try out ginger tea! Cold or flu? Meet chai tea. Trying to lose weight? Green tea is your best friend. There is literally a tea for everything.
Since fall is the season where everyone gets sick, it’s a good idea to boost your metabolism—and tea can do that for you! Starbucks also has an excellent secret menu item called Medicine Ball that not only tastes amazing but can make you feel ten times better!
Get yourself a cute mug and start drinking your tea! You will feel so much better and your body will thank you.
2. Take a Bubble Bath
Taking a bubble bath is a great way to end a stressful day, especially in fall, when the temperatures drop. Let’s face it—life can be trying, and that stress takes a toll on our bodies. Our muscles get tight, and our bodies get stiff, but you can fix that with a hot bath!
Studies have shown that baths make your blood flow more smoothly and make it more oxygenated, thus allowing you to breathe deeper and more clearly. Taking a hot bath can also kill harmful bacteria and improve your immunity which is essential for the flu season that comes in the fall!
If you’re someone who finds baths to be gross, take a quick shower before taking a bath to cleanse the skin. Once you’re completely clean, you can feel better about relaxing in the bath! Add a few drops of essential oils or bath salts to help you relax further. You can even play some calming music or play some spa music to mimic an actual spa environment. Sit back, relax, and find yourself being calmer than ever before.
3. Practice Gratitude
One of the best ways to practice self-love this fall is to notice what you have and be thankful for it. Too many times, we forget how fortunate we are, and we take those things for granted. In the age of social media, it’s hard not to compare ourselves to others which takes a toll on our mental health. The truth is, no one’s life is perfect, and everyone has things they wish were different.
But what about the things we do have? This fall, take notice of these things, no matter how little. Keep a gratitude journal and write a couple things that you are thankful for every day. It doesn’t have to be anything big! Some days it might be harder than others to come up with something, but the biggest goal is to find the beauty in your life. The more you do this, the more you will find yourself being appreciative and thankful for every moment, and you will make each moment count!
4. Go On a Morning Walk
Going on a morning walk is a great way to start your day, while also taking a moment to connect with nature. There’s something about crisp autumn air in the morning that is not only invigorating but also quite peaceful.
It doesn’t have to be a long walk, but make a point to be in the moment and disconnect from your phone. You will feel much more awake and alive once you take a morning walk and have some you-time! This is also a great time to take morning walks because of the gorgeous fall foliage! So don’t worry, even though you aren’t on your phone you will still have something to look at! Kidding! sort of…
5. Revamp Your Space
The colder months have a way of making us feel unproductive and often uninspired. This fall, take some time to redo your space. There’s no shame in changing up a room you just revamped! Not only will renovating your space give you something to do on rainy days, but it will also help you feel inspired!
You deserve to come home to a place or room that makes you happy, and if it isn’t doing that for you now, then it’s time for a change! Do this for yourself! Paint the walls, add artwork, change your bedding… Put whatever makes you happiest in your space!
6. Have a Spa Day
We all have stressful times in our lives where we just feel completely drained and exhausted. This fall, show yourself some love and have a spa day at home! Take a hot shower or bath, do a face mask and hair mask, paint your nails… go the extra mile to feel at peace and feel beautiful!
When we get stressed or overwhelmed, we often forget to take care of ourselves. Between work, school, family, friends… it can be a lot! Take some time to unwind and unplug from your busy life and take care of yourself! Try to remove yourself from your stressors and give your undivided attention to yourself! Whatever is stressing you out will be there in a couple of hours or tomorrow. For now—focus on you!
7. Start a Journal
When was the last time you checked in with yourself? And I mean really checked in? Probably a lot longer than you think. Keeping a journal is a great way to reconnect with yourself and have a regular check-in. How are you really feeling? What made you happy or mad today?
Having an outlet to put all your emotions, good and bad, is a great way to get all those feels out there! Often times, we bottle up our feelings for one reason or another. Whatever that reason might be, it’s never a good idea to bottle everything up because you will eventually explode.
There is no specific way to journal! You can do the traditional “Dear Diary” way, or start a bullet journal! Whatever system works best for you is the way to go! Try to make a habit of writing in your journal daily and not just when you’re feeling great or terrible, and you will notice a difference! Sometimes writing things down makes you see a new perspective, and sometimes that’s all you really need!
8. Try Out Aromatherapy
Some people swear by aromatherapy and others are quite skeptical. Whether you believe essential oils can cure ailments, it doesn’t hurt to try! While it may or may not be a cure for anything, essential oils can definitely help your well-being!
This fall, invest in some primary essential oils such as lavender, peppermint, frankincense, and lemon. Next, get yourself an essential oil diffuser. Don’t worry—they’re very inexpensive, and you can find them almost anywhere! You can also add essential oils to a hot bath to have a similar effect.
In case you were wondering what aromatherapy actually does, it works by stimulating smell receptors in the nose which then sends messages to your nervous system and limbic system. Essential oils and aromatherapy have proved to be an excellent aid for mental and physical ailments by helping with pain and targeting your emotional systems. With flu season coming up, it wouldn’t hurt to try out aromatherapy! Not only can it strengthen your immune system, but it can also alleviate symptoms of different illnesses!
9. Treat Yourself
When was the last time you bought something for yourself? Or even did something for yourself? For many of us, money isn’t something we use to treat ourselves with. This fall, allow yourself to spend some money on yourself!
Every month, put aside some money for yourself to do something fun or buy yourself something you’ve been wanting. Then, at the end of each month, allow yourself to spend that money on yourself without feeling guilty. It doesn’t have to be anything big or extravagant, just something to show yourself some appreciation. Maybe there’s a movie you’ve wanted to see or a pair of shoes you can’t stop thinking about… whatever it is, treat yourself!
For many people, the thought of spending money on unnecessary items for themselves might seem like a waste of money or ridiculous. However, showing yourself, you deserve something nice every now and then isn’t something you should feel bad or guilty about. You work hard, and you deserve to feel like it is being noticed.
Go ahead and spend $2 on a candy bar, $20 on an eyeshadow palette, or $200 on a pair of shoes! Whatever you feel comfortable with and whatever makes you happy, do it! You don’t have to explain yourself to anyone, you deserve a treat!
10. Pick Up a New Hobby
Fall is a great time for picking up a new hobby. The temperatures are dropping, the rain is falling, and you need something to do besides watching Netflix all day. This fall, pick up a hobby that you’ve always wanted to try!
Learn how to paint, start knitting, join a book club, or learn to play the guitar! Take this time to learn a new skill! Not only will you be expanding your talents, but you will also be productive and will have something to do to fill your time. Maybe there’s a couple of books you’ve wanted to read but haven’t gotten around to it… now’s your chance! Have fun with it, and, if you decide you don’t like your new hobby, switch it!
11. Take a Yoga Class (or Any Class!)
For some, yoga seems like a pointless workout that only involves stretching. Well, they would be wrong! Yoga is a great way to stretch, yes, but it can also improve your breathing, maintain a balanced metabolism, help prevent future injury, increase blood flow, boost immunity, lower blood pressure, and more.
Yoga also often involves meditation, which is incredible for your health! Many studies have shown the benefits of meditation, such as reducing stress, controlling anxiety, and can even help you fight addiction amongst many other things. Some apps can help you practice meditation, so you don’t need to go to a yoga studio to do it!
This fall, consider taking a yoga class! Many yoga studios offer free trials where you can try a lesson or two for free with no commitment! Even if yoga isn’t your thing, taking any exercise class this fall would be a great idea! When fall and winter come around, lots of people forget about the gym because they aren’t after that bikini body anymore, but it’s essential to stay active all year!
12. Buy Yourself Some Flowers
There’s something about the small gesture of receiving flowers that makes everyone happy. Even if you hate flowers, no one hates receiving them. Even if no one’s buying them for you, you can still buy them for yourself and doing so is a great way to practice self-love!
Remember the feeling you get when you receive them… That feeling can be given to you by you! Whenever you are feeling down or even when you’re feeling happy, buy yourself some flowers to brighten your day!
13. Eat Healthier
Fall is the beginning of the holiday season, and that means a whole lot of eating… and usually not the healthiest of foods. Eating bad food during the holidays is inevitable, but don’t let junk food be your primary food group! Of course, you should treat yourself, but there’s a difference between treating yourself and only eating treats.
This fall, make an effort to eat healthier than you usually might in the fall months! Take this time to learn how to cook healthy foods and maybe even meal prep! Meal prepping is a great way to eat healthy because you have a plan. Sometimes when we don’t have a plan, we just visit Taco Bell because it’s easy. If you have a plan, you will be eating better! Show your body some love and pay attention to what you’re putting into it!
14. Have a Lazy Day
We all deserve to have a lazy day without feeling bad about it. This fall, let yourself be lazy and don’t feel guilty about it! When you think about it, it’s incredible how much we do daily and how much we put ourselves through. We are a stressed-out generation, and we often feel pressured to always be doing something. But all the stress and activity put a toll on our bodies and mental state.
This fall, allow yourself to have a lazy day. Have breakfast in bed, watch Netflix all day, eat some ice cream, stay in your pajamas… let your body heal! The more stress we put ourselves through, the more likely we are to get sick, and that will only make us more stressed out! Instead, pick a day to be lazy and have a “sick” day. You’ll enjoy it more if you aren’t already sick!
15. Do What You Love and Don’t Apologize
We often apologize for what we love. We feel like we have to explain ourselves and live up to impossible standards. Sorry, but none of us are perfect, and we all have quirks and things about ourselves that we hide. But why? This fall, make an effort to find yourself and do what you love. You shouldn’t have to apologize for spending a whole day baking or playing video games if that’s what you want to do!
Hiding these aspects of our personalities is why so many people struggle with mental illness. Would you tell your best friend to stop acting like him or herself? Probably not, so why are you saying that to yourself? This fall, learn to be your best friend. Stop apologizing for what makes you happy and focus on you and your mental state. That is the highest form of self-love.
