If you can’t fly then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do, you have to keep moving forward.
– Martin Luther King Jr.

I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.
– Maya Angelou

Promise me you’ll always remember: You’re braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.
– A.A. Milne

Pain is temporary. It may last a minute, or an hour, or a day, or a year, but eventually it will subside and something else will take its place.
– Lance Armstrong

I think that if you live long enough, you realize that so much of what happens in life is out of your control — but how you respond to it is in your control.
– Hillary Clinton

If somebody hurts you, it’s okay to cry a river: Just remember to build a bridge and get over it.
– Taylor Swift

One part of wisdom is knowing what you don’t need anymore and letting it go.
– Jane Fonda

Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending. – Carl Bard

The pain you feel today is the strength you feel tomorrow. For every challenge encountered, there is opportunity for growth.
– Anonymous

Sometimes it’s okay if the only thing you did today was breathe.
– Yumi Sakugawa

I will love the light for it shows me the way, yet I will endure the darkness for it shows me the stars.
– Og Mandino

I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be.
– Douglas Adams

We’re here for a reason. I believe a bit of the reason is to throw little torches out to lead people through the dark.
– Whoopi Goldberg

So dry your tears. Fortune has not yet turned her hatred against all your blessings. The storm has not yet broken upon you with too much violence. Your anchors are holding firm and they permit you both comfort in the present, and hope in the future.
– Boethius

God is working for you tonight. Heaven is holding conversations about. Angels have been assigned to you. Be at peace. 
– Anonymous

I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.
– Maya Angelou

Sometimes, the best way to help someone is just to be near them.
― Veronica Roth

We must accept finite disappointment, but we must never lose infinite hope.
– Martin Luther King, Jr.

Hope is important because it can make the present moment less difficult to bear. If we believe that tomorrow will be better, we can bear a hardship today.
– Thich Nhat Hanh

Have great hopes and dare to go all out for them. Have great dreams and dare to live them. Have tremendous expectations and believe in them.
– Norman Vincent Peale

We should always pray for help, but we should always listen for inspiration and impression to proceed in ways different from those we may have thought of.
– John H. Groberg

Friendship is the comfort that comes from knowing that even when you feel all alone, you aren’t.
– Unknown

There are times when we stop, we sit still. We listen and breezes from a whole other world begin to whisper.
– James Carroll

Breath is the power behind all things…. I breathe in and know that good things will happen.
– Tao Porchon-Lynch

Rule number one is, don’t sweat the small stuff. Rule number two is, it’s all small stuff.
– Robert Eliot

Breathe. Let go. And remind yourself that this very moment is the only one you know you have for sure.
– Oprah Winfrey

More Posts on Quotes

• Grieving Inspirational Quotes for Healing
• 10 Inspirational Grieving Quotes
• Grief Quotes about Mom

The post 26 Inspirational Comfort Quotes appeared first on Just Like Joanne.

Over the years of our lives we have been taught many subjects by our teachers but no one ever teaches us the meaning of how to love yourself first. 

What is Self Love?

So the question is what actually self love is? Self-love is not simply a state of feeling good. It is a state of appreciation for oneself that grows from actions that support our physical, psychological and spiritual growth. Self love is the name of accepting our weaknesses and strengths. You deserve to be loved not only by those around you but by the most important person in your life – YOU.

Loving yourself means having a high regard for your own well-being and happiness. Self-love means taking care of your own needs and not sacrificing your well-being to please others. Self love means not settling for less than you deserve.

Learning how to love yourself first doesn’t mean thinking you’re the smartest, most talented, and most beautiful person in the world. Instead, when you love yourself you accept your so-called weaknesses, appreciate these so-called shortcomings as something that makes you who you are. When you love yourself you have compassion for yourself.

You take care of yourself like you’d take care of a friend in distress. You treat yourself kindly. You don’t nitpick and criticize yourself. For many, especially those of us who grew up in households that lacked love or in which love waxed and waned, loving yourself will take work. Self-love is a practice and it’s a skill that takes work.

Self-love means giving yourself what your body, brain, and soul needs for the marathon that is life. It isn’t hedonism and it isn’t chasing a physical or emotional high. The practice of self-love is the practice of nourishing yourself.

Loving yourself is the most productive thing you can do for you life because all that doubt, self hate and underestimating is holding you back from reaching your full potential and of course, true happiness.

What Does Self Love Actually Look Like?

Self-love is about how we are being with ourselves in every moment. It’s not about what we think or feel, it’s about how we respond. This is because everyone has a pain story. Everyone has things they wish were different about themselves. This is a part of being human. We cannot control our human mind’s tendency to be a jerk every once in awhile, but we can control how we react to it. If we can become a loving responder, we instantly embody self-love. We shift from identifying with the itty bitty critic committee, and step into our role as the loving and strong presence that transforms pain into purpose.

Self-love applied as practice births feelings of greater inner-peace, harmony, and joy. It’s your trusted ally in dealing with thoughts of not being good enough, important enough, or even attractive enough for who or what you truly desire. It’s the antidote to your inner-critic and medicine for the over-active critical thought patterns. It feels like placing a soothing balm over tender skin.

We are responsible for how we treat ourselves, which includes what we tolerate from others. We are always responsible for our reality, inside and out. It’s never our job to fix anyone else, and it’s always our job to honor ourselves.

How Can I Practice Self Love?

Self-love is a great practice that doesn’t need to take extra time or money. We practice self-love so we can push through our limiting beliefs and live a life that truly shines.

Speak Kind Words
There are so many ways to be kind to yourself. Physically, we can eat healthy, exercise, and rest. Socially, we can find people that make us smile and support us. And mentally, we can cut ourselves some slack and speak kind words to ourselves! This practice is intended to replace all of those negative things we think about ourselves during the way.

Accept Your Weaknesses
Once you accept your weaknesses you will start loving yourself.

Make Peace with Your Past
This is very important. Stop thinking about your past that makes you feel bad or makes you hate yourself. Just forgive and forget. Try to move on. If it doesn’t work then try to replace your old stuff which reminds you of any bad memory with the new one. Make peace with your past. Stop blaming yourself for everything that happened to you in your past. You are not responsible for everything.

Be Grateful
Having an attitude of gratitude is a fabulous way to practice self-love. The habit that attitude should replace is complaining. Complaining is focusing on all of the negative things going on in your life. When you complain, you essentially disregard all of the good things happening around you. Being grateful might be harder at first but the benefits are worth it.

Surround Yourself with Right People
Hell yes! Don’t run after people who don’t value you. Don’t be with the people who bring out the bad in you. Instead, be with those who bring out the best in you.

Be YOU
One way to practice self-love is to recognize that you are YOU for a reason. Your unique talents and abilities are yours to develop and cultivate. Do not waste your precious time trying to change things that don’t need to be changed. Instead, focus on enhancing those abilities and attributes that make you unique.

Choose Positivity
This does not mean that life needs to be sunshine and rainbows all the time, because that’s just not realistic. To me, positivity is having the understanding that everything will work out the way it’s supposed to, if you just keep going and trying your best. It’s okay to feel sad, mad, or frustrated. It’s okay to feel overwhelmed and annoyed. The problem is when you let those emotions stop you from progressing and limit what you can achieve.

Spend Time With Yourself
Spend at least 15-30 minutes with yourself daily. Go and sit at your happy place. It can be your room, rooftop of your house, any garden or any place you feel comfortable and happy. Give yourself your time. Think about the best things and qualities in you. Think about the good deeds you did that day. It will make you satisfied and happy.

Become Mindful
People who have more self-love tend to know what they think, feel, and want. They are mindful of who they are and act on this knowledge, rather than on what others want for them.

Practice Good Self Care
You will love yourself more, when you take better care of your basic needs. People high in self-love nourish themselves daily through healthy activities, like sound nutrition, exercise, proper sleep, intimacy and healthy social interactions.

Act on What You Need Rather than What You Want
You love yourself when you can turn away from something that feels good and exciting to what you need to stay strong, centered, and moving forward in your life, instead. By staying focused on what you need, you turn away from automatic behavior patterns that get you into trouble, keep you stuck in the past, and lessen self-love.

Set Boundaries
You’ll love yourself more when you set limits or say no to work, love, or activities that deplete or harm you physically, emotionally and spiritually, or express poorly who you are.

Stop Comparison
Comparison is a killer to self love. Don’t ever compare yourself with others. Everyone is better in his own way. We all are different. Comparing yourself or your life with others will ruin your life. You will start hating yourself instead of loving. So keep it in mind that don’t compare your life with others.

Forgive Yourself
We humans can be so hard on ourselves. The downside of taking responsibility for our actions is punishing ourselves too much for mistakes in learning and growing. You have to accept your humanness (the fact that you are not perfect), before you can truly love yourself. Practice being less hard on yourself when you make a mistake. Remember, there are no failures, if you have learned and grown from your mistakes; there are only lessons learned.

Take Baby Steps to Create the Life You Long For
Desires are powerful. And so, to take action turn those dreams into reality is to honor and care for yourself. By taking daily actions, you signal that you’re worthy of living the life you desire. It doesn’t have to be big action—just small and consistent steps in the direction that stirs joy, care, and excitement. This demonstrates that you care and respect your dreams and thus yourself. Has there ever been a better time to do that than now?

Make Room for Healthy Habits
Yep yep! Start truly caring for yourself by mirroring that in what you eat, how you exercise, and what you spend time doing. Do stuff, not to “get it done” or because you “have to,” but because you care about you.Don’t feel like going to the gym? Then maybe put on a soul-soothing podcast and go for a walk. Create habits that are healthy, not just mentally but also emotionally.

Explore Your Spirituality
Faith is the foundation for self-love. Whether or not you’re religious, believing in something opens up your soul to the beauty of belief and trust. It will build your intuition and help you make decisions based on your intuition. When you explore your spirituality, it will also take you on a journey to learning things about yourself, and those new thoughts, feelings, passions, and raw emotions will make you appreciate yourself for being authentically you.

Celebrate the Tiny Wins
Celebrate when something good happens! You don’t have to throw a party or buy something expensive. Call up a friend for a movie night, or take yourself to dinner

Do a Brain Dump
Have a lot of things taking up space in your head? Get them all out on paper. Spend 20 minutes just getting a pen to paper on everything that keeps popping up in your head. Call the cable company, pay credit card bill, tell your boss about a new idea you had, ask your BFF to lunch next week — whatever it is, get it on paper once and for all. 

Practice mindful eating:
Mindful eating is when you focus on the food you’re eating while you’re eating it. Instead of watching Netflix on your laptop or FaceTiming your friend, pay attention to your food. Focus on how it tastes, what you like about it, how many times it takes you to chew, and more. While it might seem awkward or weird at first, it helps you to appreciate what you’re eating instead of overeating mindlessly. 

Self-love isn’t a luxury; it’s a necessity in today’s society. So, start implementing some of the practices above and most of all have compassion with yourself when you fall short. You won’t learn how to love yourself first right away. Simply brush yourself off and get back into it again. As they say, practice makes perfect.

The post Self Care Tips To Love Yourself First appeared first on Just Like Joanne.

A Doable Self Care Routine

When was the last time you spent some quality time alone without worrying much about your work or household chores? When was it that you were totally relaxed and your mind wasn’t racing? It’s indeed hard to find such occasions where we are totally mindful and present at the moment.

With ever-changing seasons and life getting tougher, it becomes utmost essential to craft a self-care routine for ourselves.

We always consider self-care as something that makes our bodies feel joyous and relaxed. No doubt, self-care is totally about doing everything that makes you happy and brings peace to your inner land. But it’s also about being mindful and taking care of your thoughts.

You may feel up for the challenge, but recognizing the need for self-care is one thing. Actually adopting a self-care practice that can improve your life is another.

I’ve witnessed super successful women having some remarkable self care habits and routine. They’re all so firm with their self-care and no validation from the outer world. This is where you evolve as a person you always wanted to be.

Recently, I also created my own self-care routine and have been sticking to it. Believe me, it has created so many magical changes in my thinking as well as my body. Here are the self-care habits that I would really urge you to follow.

What are self care habits?

Habits are something that you practice regularly without fail. They become core-part of your existence and you simply feel so different without practicing them.

Self-care habits are the rituals that you include in your lifestyle that help you grow emotionally, spiritually besides your physical growth.

You can feel a sudden shift in your mindset while practicing these rituals on a regular basis.
Let’s talk in detail about some beautiful self-care habits you definitely need to have:

1. Have a morning routine
When you’re practicing self-care, it’s necessary to start your day with something that feeds your mind, soul, and body. Having an effective self-care routine will enable you to inculcate some healthy habits in the morning like moving your body, practicing yoga, healthy breakfast, and so on.

This is for you to make sure that your mornings are mindful and that you’re starting your day with the right tone.

2. Know where to invest your time
We are indeed super busy and it’s necessary to be mindful of where we are investing our precious time. You may be spending it on your daily self-care or doing everything that makes you happy.

Time is money and it’s indeed true for the era we are living in. When you’re mindful of your time, you won’t spend it on something that drains you mentally or physically.

3. Protect your energy
It’s super difficult to create a positive vibe all day long and be jolly all time. However, it’s always in our hands to protect our energy and save ourselves from everything that hinders our growth. Be mindful of who you surround yourself with and share your energy. It definitely is going to affect your whole vibe and aura.

4. Know when to pause
Taking breaks is equally important and necessary just as working for your business. When we pause and reflect within, we realize the magic we are born with. This will help you grow as a person and your work will indeed stand out because of your authenticity.

5. Be mindful with your food habits
Mindful eating over binge eating is such a flourishing concept. We are what we intake, thoughts, and food determine this. Being mindful of your food helps you stay healthy and on top of that, it removes toxins from your body and cleanses it.

6. Move your body
Practicing regular exercise whether it’s hitting the gym or going for a morning walk is super beneficial for our ‘feel-good’ hormones.

Start with some 20 mins run or a walk and increase it gradually. Do not stress yourself much for perfection in the beginning or you definitely will give up on your practice.

7. Know whom to respond
Every action has a reaction but you don’t always have to respond to something that harms your peace. Be mindful of where you’re throwing your words, it will indeed have a great impact on your mind.

If something or someone is hindering your peace, it’s better to walk away instead of responding with anger. When you practice radical self-care, you save yourself from everything that hurts your soul.

8. Practice letting go
Let go of everything that isn’t serving you. It indeed will be difficult in the beginning but as you will walk in the path of your light, you will find this worth doing.

Letting go will save you from so much hurt and make you feel calm and relaxed.

9. Have a bed-time routine
Just as having a proper morning routine works wonders for your daily boost, the evening routine is the key to maintain it.

Having a bedtime routine will ensure you of a better sleep which will help you with your next day plan. It’s super annoying to wake up cranky or with a grumpy mood.

Plan out your evening routine just as you would do in the morning. Include everything necessary like reading a few pages, switching your phone off, or practicing some bed-time yoga. These habits have proved to be insanely effective for me.

10. Practice digital detox
If you are someone whose work is mostly online, I bet you surely need some time off from these gadgets. We are always consuming, knowingly, or unknowingly which is creating serious damage to our mindfulness. People nowadays are so engrossed in their gadgets and social media that they hardly have some time to live a real life.

These social media sets the standard of living and if we’re not able to match those, we feel a total failure and wasted. Taking digital detox once a week will recharge you and you will be back with renewed energy and spirits.

Practicing self-care can be super challenging if you’re just starting out. But trust me, it’s something that you would definitely need to live a happy and healthy life.

Taking care of your soul, body, and mind is solely your responsibility. Some days, it would be difficult to stick to these self-care habits. Do not be so harsh on yourself and always start with some baby steps.

I really hope that this piece would have inspired you for following self-care rituals. I would love to hear more about your self care habits in the comments below.

The post Self Care Habits for a Happy Life appeared first on Just Like Joanne.

Love Yourself First and Be More Confident

How amazing it feels to be always confident in doing everything you want!

All the confident people in the world have attracted success and lived the life of their dreams. However, this self-confidence isn’t something we are born with. It’s a skill that can be developed by setting routines and habits.

These successful people have a firm belief in themselves and they show up with all the confidence without paying heed to their doubts.

Being in love with yourself provides you with self-confidence, self-worth and it will generally help you feel more positive. You may also find that it is easier for you to fall in love once you have learned to love yourself first.

TheLawofAttraction.com

If you feel insecure and are not confident enough, do not worry. Here’s a list of 5 habits that will boost your confidence and make you live with high self-esteem so you can love yourself first.

1. Stand up for yourself

People with low self-confidence easily give-up on themselves, they always prefer handling everything with peace instead of owning their rights. They give away their power of control easily and hence they always feel low about themselves.

Instead, stand up and speak for yourself. If you disagree, speak up. You don’t have to be a people pleaser and keep crushing your views. This will do nothing but lower your worth in your own eyes. It’s high time, stand up and speak for yourself because if you won’t, no one else will. Love yourself or nobody else will.

2. Practice positive affirmations

Affirmations are more like ‘mantras’ that will help you build self-confidence. The sentences like ‘I am capable of doing anything’ have so much power to actually get that work done.

Once you build a ritual and start practicing some powerful affirmation, you will start believing in yourself which will increase your self-confidence.

It indeed takes some time to develop a new habit so do not be hard on yourself while practicing affirmations. The main aim here is to feel the words you tell to yourself.

3. Learn from your experience

Always keep learning from your mistakes and experience. The road of life isn’t always smooth or easy. We all have faced ups and downs but what makes us stand tall is the lesson that we learned from our struggles.

Know that your mistakes are just stepping stones and they are here to teach you something. Learn from them and avoid repeating your mistakes.

When you learn the lessons, you grow smarter which definitely increases your self-confidence.

4. Embrace the fear

Sometimes, you lack confidence because you’re scared of life. Our fear can actually help us grow if we let it.

You can be afraid of something and yet do it anyway. This shows how much you believe in yourself rather than your fears. Think of worst-case situations when you’re afraid and embrace them.

If you want to start a YouTube channel but are afraid of what others will think, you can never begin. You need to accept that in spite of all your fears, your belief and faith will always win.

5. Believe in yourself no matter what

This is the key to building self-confidence. If you don’t believe in yourself you surely aren’t going to get it. You will never learn how to love yourself first if you don’t have faith that you are good.

Success is more like a visualization before you actually achieve it. You need to have firm belief and faith in yourself that you’re going to slay that show, you’re going to grab that opportunity. You indeed have everything that takes to win this life. Go and get it with the power of belief.

In the end, self-confidence is all about practicing the power of belief. I really hope that these tips would help you boost your confidence and conquer every aspect of your life.

The post Love Yourself First appeared first on Just Like Joanne.

5 Self Love Practices You Need to Start Today

The other day, I was reading this book ‘You can heal your life’ and I stumbled upon this sentence that said, every single problem could be solved if we know how to love ourselves. These words hit me so hard that I actually dived deep into the root cause of the problems we face.

We may not be willing to show up due to our body weight or we’re simply not too good. Also, we might have refused an amazing opportunity because of self-doubt or we don’t consider ourselves worthy enough for such opportunities.

Self-love means having a high regard for your own well-being and happiness. Self-love means taking care of your own needs and not sacrificing your well-being to please others. Self-love means not settling for less than you deserve. –Andrea Brandt

When you practice self love, you will learn to respect yourself and understand that there’s no such thing as ‘not too good’ or ‘not enough’. We are all capable of creating magic just that we need to ignite that spark.

Self love will teach you showing kindness to yourself, honoring your worth, being soft with yourself, and keeping yourself safe.

What actually is self-love?

A self-love is an act of being there for yourself even when no one else does. It’s a sacred practice of showering all the love, respect, and care to your own self.

Learning how to love ourselves gives us the strength and courage to get through difficult times.

Here’s how you can practice self-love:

1. Practice a self-care routine
   Self-care isn’t only about having hot bubble baths, it’s about nourishing mind, body, and soul. Plan a proper self-care routine that helps your mind, soul, and body to nourish and grow.
   

   Having a morning and evening routine helps a lot in creating a better and relaxed state of mind. I always include 10 mins journaling in my daily self-care routine, this is something non-negotiable ritual of my everyday life.

   
   
2. Prioritize yourself
   We need to understand that loving ourselves isn’t selfish. Sometimes, we have to put ourselves before everyone else and it’s all okay.
   

   How many times have you sacrificed your wishes for your loved ones? This is the time to actually think about yourself and give yourself the priority that you always gave to others. Spare some time for yourself from your busy schedule, honor your being for you too deserve your love and time.

   
   
3. Self-love journaling
   Journaling has always helped me know myself more. As we continue this journey of self-discovery through journaling, we reveal so many hidden magic within us.
   

   Practice some self-love affirmations like. ‘I am enough’ or ‘I am capable of doing everything I set my mind on’. This will create a positive effect on your subconscious mind.

   
   
4. Learn to say ‘no’
   You cannot be always present for everyone even if you wish to. Try to normalize saying ‘no’ when you’re super exhausted or are literally left with no energy.
   

   Asking for help is also an act of self-love. You honor yourself enough to seek help and break the chain of suffering.

   
   
5. Have some ‘Me Time’
   Having some alone time with your favorite drink or super engrossing book is much needed in this fast-paced life. We are literally in the race of getting ahead and our To-Do list is a never-ending one.
   

   Amongst this chaos, find some time for solitude. Sit with yourself and enjoy the joy of being present in the moment. It’s indeed therapeutic.

   
   

Loving yourself can be difficult when you’re just starting out. However, if you really wish to get into the root cause of your problems and live your life to the fullest, self-love is the only key.

I really hope that you start practicing these simple self-love tips in your daily routine. Do drop your comments on how you practice loving yourself more today.

The post Self Love Practices You Need to Start Today appeared first on Just Like Joanne.

I love these quotes and inspirational images because they speak volumes about how to love yourself and be happy with yourself. Self love quotes remind you that YOU are the most important thing in your life.

Here are 50 inspiring love yourself quotes, the first part includes images to pin and the second part includes self care quotes without images. Loving yourself is not selfish, but a fundamental skill to generate the strength needed to love others.

Why is loving yourself and self care so important?

1. Life becomes easier. When you love yourself life is lighter and simpler.
2. You have the ability to stand up to more obstacles with stability inside and a strong armor outside.
3. You’ll be happier and have more fun in life.

Learn to love you… You will make so many choices differently when you love and respect yourself – Courtney Seard, Consultant and Coach

The post 50 Love Yourself Quotes appeared first on Just Like Joanne.

If there’s one thing that’s for certain, it’s that grief is inevitable. Most of us will experience some form of loss in our lifetime, whether it’s losing a loved one, a job, or a dream. During these dark times, it can be difficult to find the right words to say or even feel comforted. That’s where Grief Quotes come in. They’re not a magical cure, but sometimes a few words from someone else who has gone through similar emotions can make all the difference. Whether you’re the one grieving or trying to comfort someone who is, never underestimate the power of a poignant quote to offer some solace.

What is Grief and Why is it So Hard to Overcome?

Grief, in its simplest terms, is the emotional roller coaster we ride when we lose someone or something we deeply care about. It’s like an unexpected guest that shows up at our door and doesn’t really know when to leave.

Grief can be tricky, and it’s so hard to shake off because it’s not just one feeling – it’s a mixed bag of emotions. One moment you’re sad, the next you’re angry, then you’re feeling guilty, and sometimes all of these feelings drop by unannounced. It’s like trying to juggle while riding a bike – pretty tough, right?

And let’s not forget, grief doesn’t just mess with our emotions, it can make us feel physically out of sorts too. Being tired all the time, losing interest in things we once enjoyed – it all comes with the territory.

Society often expects us to put on a brave face, move on and stop grieving after a while. But hey, we’re all unique and we each have our own rhythm when it comes to dealing with loss. There’s no stopwatch timing us, and there’s definitely no right or wrong way to grieve.

Another thing about grief is that it makes us face some of our biggest fears – like being alone, dealing with change, and confronting the reality of death. It’s like being thrown into deep water without knowing how to swim.

But here’s the thing, as tough as grief is, it’s not about winning a battle against it. It’s more about learning to dance in the rain. With time, patience, and lots of self-care, we learn to live with the loss, cherish the good memories, and find our way back to a new kind of normal.

Helpful Grief Quotes

• Grief Quotes about Mom
• Grief Is Not the Absence of Love
• 20 Grief Quotes for Coping with Great Loss
• 10 Inspirational Grieving Quotes to Comfort You

How to Start Letting Go of These Big Feelings

Navigating the road of grief isn’t about forgetting or rushing to “get over it”. It’s more like learning to carry the memory of our loved ones in a way that lets us keep growing and living. So, how do we do this? Here are some friendly suggestions:

1. Chat About Your Feelings: Don’t keep your feelings locked away. Let them out! Scribble them down in a diary, paint them out on a canvas, or have a heart-to-heart with a buddy.
2. Find Support: Link up with people who get what you’re experiencing. This could be a group that’s dealing with similar losses, a counselor, or pals and family who’ve walked in your shoes.
3. Look After Number One: Grief can be a bit of a body blow, so take care of your health. Try to eat well, get some exercise and plenty of sleep to help your body handle the emotional upheaval.
4. Stay in the Now: Try activities like deep breathing or meditation that keep you anchored in the present and help to dial down worry.
5. Celebrate Your Loved One: Find special ways to remember and honor your loved one. Maybe it’s visiting their favorite spot, planting a tree in their name, or keeping a tradition they loved alive.
6. Take Your Time: Healing is not a race. There’s no stopwatch timing your grief, so be kind to yourself. It’s totally fine to have ups and downs.
7. Rediscover What Makes You Smile: When you’re ready, start exploring activities that light you up again. This doesn’t mean you’re leaving your loved one behind, it just means you’re choosing to live life fully.

Remember, everyone has their own unique style and pace when it comes to dealing with grief. If you’re finding it tough, it’s perfectly okay to ask for professional help. You’re not alone on this journey.

15 Inspiring and Uplifting Grief Quotes

Inspiring and Uplifting Grief Quotes are like gentle reminders that, even in the midst of our sorrow, there is strength within us, hope around us, and a promise that we can still find joy and meaning in life after loss.

One day we will remember how lucky we were to have known their love, with wonder, not grief. 
– Elizabeth Postle

2. May the peace that comes from the memories of love shared, comfort you now and in the days ahead.

3. Love gives us memories. Faith gives us strength.

Little by little,
we let go of loss…
but never of love.

Like scattered seeds,
memories bloom forever.

When it feels as though nothing will ease your grief, hold on to the belief that every new sunrise brings you closer to comfort.

Winter to spring, darkness to light, sadness to peace.

When you least expect it, peace will softly come into your heart.

The pain passes, but the beauty remains.
– Auguste Renoir

Grief is in two parts. The first is loss. The second is the remaking of life.
– Anne Roiphe, Writer

It takes strength to make your way through grief, to grab hold of life and let it pull you forward.
– Patti Davis, Actress

Grief does not change you … It reveals you.
—John Green

May there be comfort in knowing that someone so special will never be forgotten.
– Julie Hébert

Grief and love are forever intertwined. Grief is the terrible reminder of the depths of our love and, like love, grief is non-negotiable.
– Nick Cave

You can’t truly heal from a loss until you allow yourself to really feel the loss.
– Mandy Hale

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When you think about how you feel about yourself, and how well you know yourself, how do you score on a scale of 1 – 10? If you feel that you know yourself very well, but you are on the lower side of how much you like yourself, then it might be time to start thinking about how you can build a better relationship with yourself, and the next pages will be exploring how to accomplish this.

There are tons of distractions that can be found out in the world, but some of the worst distraction to get involved with are those that comes from spending too much time focusing on and critiquing the lives of others. It can be extremely easy to fall into the habit of spending your time concerning yourself with the movements of others, and you may even spend time discussing these things with others, but it’s important to note that while you’re focusing on others, you’re avoiding work that you can be doing on yourself.

Another side of this, is that it might be a manifestation of insecurities that you feel towards yourself due to constant comparing. The person who is aware of the nuances of how you feel would be you, because people can’t read the minds of others. If you feel as though you are constantly scrutinized by others, it’s important to remember that they might not even be aware that you feel any discomfort at all. Most of the time, people are primarily focused on how they are seen by others.

Learn to Forgive People

It’s really hard to make a better relationship with yourself when you carry a lot of baggage from past dealings with people. Things sometimes happen that can make your feel a little bit sour about having relationships with others but it’s important to remember that you don’t need to hold into these things. Let them just be things that happened and move on. It’s been said that forgiving people is more about being healthier for yourself than the person you’re forgiving. This is because holding onto to anger and pain will only cause you to feel negatively about a lot of other things in your life.

Once you have forgiven someone completely, the part of your mind that has been holding onto those toxic thoughts and feeling will be free to focus on better things. You can use that brain power to think of ways to put good things into the world around you. There are a lot of ways to spread positivity, and the best ways involve doing something for others.

Write a Journal or a Letter to Yourself

Part of getting to the deeper parts of yourself is taking time out of your day to put your thoughts on paper so that you can read them back to yourself. Sometimes it takes this kind of exercise in order to be able to get a sense of what is truly on your mind. You might have doubts about recent decisions, or you might need to see your thoughts out in front of you to make those final choices. Whatever the case may be, this will help you to begin to prioritize your feelings and thoughts about things. Once youíve drawn some
conclusions it’ll be easier to make real changes based on the information you have about yourself.

Practice Positive Self-Talk

After you’ve taken some time to think about the things you wrote down to yourself, make some effort to replace anything negative that you said to yourself with something that is positive. Talk about your abilities. Tell yourself that you can accomplish your goals. The more that you repeat these things to yourself, the more possible they will become.

How do you begin to love yourself?

Here are some tips to learn to love yourself first. PsychCentral gives these self-love tips:

1. Know yourself
2. Say “no” when you need to
3. Don’t compare yourself to others
4. Be truly present
5. Know and use your strengths
6. Give yourself plenty of healthy treats
7. Be honest with yourself
8. Let yourself off the hook for your mistakes and imperfections
9. Work on forgiving yourself for the bigger stuff
10. Accept that some people won’t like you
11. Make fun a priority
12. Practice gratitude
13. Write down your successes
14. Feel your feelings
15. Take good care of your body
16. Pursue a hobby
17. Stand up for yourself
18. Write yourself a love letter
19. Ask for help when you need it
20. Speak kindly to yourself
21. Surround yourself with people who treat you with kindness and respect
22. Allow yourself some downtime

Learn to Love Yourself Quotes

You can’t really love someone else unless you love yourself first. – Fred Rogers

Be gentle with yourself, learn to love yourself, to forgive yourself, for only as we have the right attitude toward ourselves can we have the right attitude toward others.
– Wilferd Peterson

Learning to love yourself first brings more joy and peace than trying to love someone else.

I hope you learn to love yourself for who you are and what you look like
and how you were born to be, because you are perfect in your own way.
– Tyler Oakley

Learn to love yourself enough so that when someone enters your life that
treats you negatively, you can stand up for yourself and have the strength to let them go.
You can learn that it is okay to say no to anyone who is not willing to treat you with the love and respect you not only want, but also deserve. Have the courage to walk away from anything that does not serve you well. Search for your highest good.

If you can learn to love yourself and all the flaws, you can love others so much better.
– Kristin Chenoweth

Learn to love yourself, it may take time but you deserve that.

The more you love yourself, the less nonsense you’ll tolerate.

Learning to love yourself is the greatest love of all.
– Whitney Houston

Learn to love yourself first instead of loving the idea of other people loving you.

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We also need to understand that self-care isn’t only having a hot bubble bath or some skin-care routine. But, it’s also about taking care of your soul, mind, and body as well as nourishing it.

I stumbled upon some beautiful ideas to include in my daily self-care routine and thought of having an exclusive self-care kit of all the products I love using. Well if you’re reading this then I’m sure you too are a self-care fanatic like me and I would highly recommend having your own self-care toolkit of everything that brings you comfort.

What should be in a self care kit?

Anything that is soothing, relaxing, or just makes you feel good are great options. Make sure you use a basket or container that you like and evokes good memories. My daughter made a similar type of kit called a calm box and on the outside she decorated it with stickers and things she liked. Inside she included the items that soothed her and calmed her down like fidget toys, a soft animal and photos.

It’s so important for our own well-being to have a self care kit ready for those times that we are struggling and need to calm ourselves.

Here’s what I include in my self-care kit:

1. Journals and Pens
I absolutely love journaling and can never fail including my favorite journals and all the stationery articles in my self-care toolkit. I especially love keeping track of my self care each day using my self care planner

2. Weighted blankets
Who doesn’t like to grab some good night’s sleep free from anxiety? These blankets are amazing at triggering ‘feel good’ hormones. It’s like a hug all night long.

3. Essential oils
Essential oils are super effective for reducing stress and anxiety. You can use them with a diffuser for aromatherapy. I love to use essential oils in my detox baths with epsom salts, in a roller bottle to relieve pain or tension, or in the diffuser for an entire room. I honestly would be lost without my essential oils…they uplift me when I need uplifting. They calm me when I need to be calmed.

4. Eye masks
These beautiful eye masks can help you with sleep as well as can aid you with your skincare by removing those eye bags. I use them for blocking light though.

5. Coloring book
Adult coloring is super famous for the mindfulness technique. These are amazing when it comes to relaxing your mind and bringing calm. My kids and I sometimes sit and color together – what an amazing bonding activity!

6. Facial masks
I love these masks for my skin as they’re natural and free from all toxics. I usually use them once a week to make my skin feel fresh and yup, it works a charm.

7. Hot water bags
Lately, I have been adoring these hot water bags for comfort and warmth. I literally feel like hanging them on my stomach and carrying them everywhere!!

8. A good book
A good book is like a best friend who always accompanies you in your light as well as dark. It can take you on a ride that you forget your cares and focus on the story and what might happen next. I cannot always decide on a good book to read because I hoard them like crazy, but here’s this book that I’m loving lately:

If you are looking for more books to read check out the book lists on this page:

9. Teabags
So I made this a rule to drink hot beverages whenever I feel low or sad, probably inspired by Sheldon from Big bang theory!! But guess what, it always works and you should definitely try this too.

10. Scented candles
Who doesn’t love the sweet smell that soothes the soul? I especially love these vanilla-flavored scented candles that smell so delicious!!

11. Fluffy socks
Whatever the weather may be, I love keeping myself warm and these fluffy socks make me feel super adorable and cozy.

12. Set of earphones
Can you even imagine going on a road trip without your earphones? Dumb, yeah!! But I always forget to carry them so needed to include in my self-soothing toolkit.

13. Stuffed Animal
Yes obviously adults are not ones to enjoy stuffed animals, but if you have one of these special warmies plush animals, you will enjoy having it in your self care kit. This soft and fuzzy animal is filled with flax and lavender and can be warmed in the microwave, creating a soothing friend to hug! They have all different animals too – dog, cat, unicorn, sloth, elephant, owl, hedgehog, cow, etc.


14. Therapy Dough
This Pinch-Me Therapy Dough is like putty for adults. Refocus, rebalance, and restore with aroma treatment dough. As you knead, it will take the edge off and will act as a hand strengthener. Simply squeeze the dough and enjoy.


15. Song List
A list of songs that help boost the mood is essential for a self care box.

I hope you would have grabbed some amazing ideas of products to include in your self-care toolkit. Just be sure that they make you feel calm and relaxed because it’s totally for your own self.

I would love to know what other things you would be including in your self-care toolkit. Do drop your ideas in the comments below.

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Wake Up Early for More Self-Care

Part of the reasons that it’s hard for some people to wake up is because they spend too much time on devices before they should be going to sleep. Scientists have been studying effects of electronic devices on sleep and they say that the data does not bode well for people who love to be on their devices in bed. Many people who have these behaviors have reported that they have experienced remarkable decreases in sleep and sleep satisfaction.

I know I am guilty of this. Often I cannot fall asleep when I’ve been watching on my phone in the evening. It’s important to set a time limit for devices to remind yourself to settle down at a specific time. This is so easy to do on most phones! You can have it power down or quit out of apps at a certain time. Even my middle-schooler does this on school nights so that she goes to sleep on time.

Instead of going to bed with your devices, you should set them to do not disturb mode, or turn them off completely. This will allow you to have a better quality of sleep. A better route to take would be to try reading something soothing before you go to sleep. That way you’re engaging your imagination, which is a lot easier to deal with than the effects of screen light radiation.

I love using my kindle at night. It has a light in it that is safe for your eyes in the dark. I also love that I can pay one monthly price (usually the cost of one paperback) and read as many books as I want from Amazon Kindle Unlimited. You can enjoy unlimited access to over 1 million books and a rotating selection of popular magazines. Plus get two months FREE when you sign up now.

Have Good Bedtime Care Habits

Are you relaxed before you go to bed? Staying away from technology has already been mentioned here, but there are lots of other things that you can do to help you to get good rest, and reduce stress. Sometimes it’s a good idea to do some stretches 1 – 2 hours before bed time. That will help keep your body flexible, and maybe even get your heart rate up for a few minutes. After you cool down from some light movement, your body will be more relaxed and ready to get into bedtime modes. You can push this further by taking a nice soothing shower. That will help to further relax your body, and put you in a calmer state of mind.

Choose a New Alarm Tone

Once you’ve gotten into better habits of resting, you can begin to start to find ways to wake yourself up earlier. One of these ways would be to try using a new alarm for your wake-up time.

The new alarm will make it easier for you to get up because it’s a lot less familiar than whichever one you’ve been using. That will keep you ready when you hear it, and you’ll be a lot less likely to hit the snooze button and send yourself back into the bad habit of leaving at the last minute. In fact, it would be a good idea to stop using the snooze button entirely, because it can help you to feel more tired when you’re jarred out of
sleep multiple times each morning. Sleep until you need to get up, then get up right away so that you don’t waste precious time.

Make Changes in the Room

One really easy way to force yourself to get up would be to change the orientations of your room. Try putting your alarm somewhere you can’t reach it so that you have to physically get your body out of bed to shut it off. Once you’re on your feet, it’ll be easier to just take yourself to the shower. You might even want to make setting up a shower time outfit part of your night routine before bed. That way you’ll be reminded of the plan
that you had for the day, take your shower, and spend your time getting ready early.

Have a Schedule for Your Morning?

A great way to make sure that you take care of everything you need in the morning would be to make a schedule for your morning hours. This makes it easier for you because it takes the guesswork out of what you need to be doing with that part of the day. That allows you to start with confidence and the expectations that you’ve set for yourself. As you check things off the list, you’ll be able to start your day with a feeling of
accomplishment, and the knowledge that you’ve already taken some of the stresses of the day off of the table.

Give Yourself the Time

The most important part of getting up earlier, is the time that you’ve set for yourself. This is the part of your day where you will focus on some kind of positive message like a positive mantra or daily affirmations, reading something soothing, or doing positive self-talk. This will allow you to start your day feeling refreshed and protected as you meet the challenges that are presented.

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