September 11th 2019
Taking a moment to show others how much I appreciate them
On my journey through understanding self-care, I have learned that there are a lot of ways you can practice self-care that go beyond just face masks, good snacks, or vacation days. Today, I decided to practice self-care in a different way by offering love to my friends. My friends are some of the most special people in my life and, as someone who had a lot of trouble making friends growing up, being able to say I have a group of people I love surrounding me is super refreshing and I will never take it for granted.
So tonight, I went through my Snapchat and sent some of my closest friends messages just reminding them that I appreciated them and that they’ve plated a role in bettering my life. I messaged my friends I talk to everyday, friends I haven’t spoken to in a while, and even a couple of new friends. To me, telling people you love them is an amazing form of self-care.
Not to say that I was messaging my friends in order to self-serve, but making my friends feel good has really helped make me feel good. And receiving the same outpour of love in return has me feeling super great as well. But one thing I didn’t realize about doing this little exercise is that it is harder than I thought it would be.
You see, we often feel gratitude towards our friends and loved ones, but we seldom tell them in words how we truly feel. In some cases, it is because we feel like our loved ones already know. And in other cases, we may just not be comfortable or confident enough to say something to someone out of fear that it won’t be reciprocated or would come off strange. However, once I pushed passed the “will my friends think I am having a breakdown if I randomly text them I love them?” thoughts, I found that writing out the messages was effortless and fulfilling.
I have so many friends that fill different roles in my life and have been with me through different trials and tribulations and I am so glad that I took the time to reflect on each person and what they mean to me. It really makes me feel like I am in the right place in my life with the right people at this current moment and I couldn’t be happier. Taking the time to really see the impact my friends have had on me and how they have shaped me into the person I am today has been a really great way to practice self-care.
Seeing what each friend contributes to my life and personality has given me a better understanding of myself and what I value in life. And taking the time to thank newer friends for their contributions to my life was also humbling because it made me realize that I mean just as much to these new people as they mean to me.
So, this Self-Care September, I am practicing self-care through expressing gratitude for what I have and who I choose to share my life with.
How will you practice self-care?
Jess~
JessofEarth 
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