Reflect With Love: Love Languages
When do you feel the most loved? Is it receiving a hug? Spending the day with someone you love? Receiving a beautifully written letter celebrating you? Coming home to find a gift from a friend? Finding out that your children did all the dishes without being asked?
According to Gary Chapman there are 5 different ways that people experience love: acts of service (like if someone does chores for you, fixes you a meal, etc.), presents, physical touch, quality time, and words of affirmation (examples of this are love letters, giving a meaningful compliment, etc). You may know immediately what your love language is, but if you don’t, you can always take a free test on the 5 Love Languages website and it will tell you which love languages are yours!
The fun thing is, once we know the primary ways we experience love best, you apply this insight to your own self-love and self care! Here are some ideas for you to practice self-love this week.
JOURNAL PROMPTS:
How do you like to receive love?
How do you like to express love?
WORDS OF AFFIRMATION: Write yourself a love letter. Include all the reasons you are amazing, all the moments you’ve been proud of yourself, all the instances you have shone yourself brightly into the world. Then, here’s the fun step, actually mail it to yourself (a tip learned from Sora Schilling) trusting that it will arrive at the perfect time.
PHYSICAL TOUCH: Take a bath or shower and luxuriate in the experience, maybe you want to add some essential oils to permeate the room in a scent you love. Rub lotion onto your skin and massage and caress your body as you go. Adorn yourself in clothing that makes you feel comfort or pleasure. Show love to the physical being you live in.
QUALITY TIME: Take yourself on a socially distanced outdoor adventure. Block out time to do an activity you love. Block out time to listen to what your heart is desiring in the moment and do that thing.
PRESENTS: If there is something you have been desiring deeply, maybe you can treat yourself to it. Maybe you want to buy yourself some flowers to beautify your space or pick-up a favorite treat to indulge in. If you’re low on $, check out a book from the library you’ve been wanting to read, make yourself something beautiful using supplies you have around the house, or find something you already love, wrap it up beautifully and take the time to open it again- remembering why you love this item.
ACTS OF SERVICE: Do you ever have those moments where you think to yourself “thank you past self for having the foresight to take care of this so I don’t have to take care of it now”? Think of something your future self would thank you for doing and do that thing. Maybe it’s food-prepping for the week, getting your oil changed, doing laundry, organizing your finances. Whatever it is... take care of it now and do so with love.
