love your self

Practicing self-love and self-care can seem extravagant—especially when we feel like our jobs are beating us down, the pandemic is weighing heavily on us, or we’re not doing enough for the kids or our houses are a mess having to homeschool in some cases while juggling work. But as Meghan Markle once wrote: “You need to know that you’re enough. You are complete with or without a partner. You are enough just as you are.”

Instead of allowing the world to dictate how we feel about ourselves, focusing on self-care, positive encouragement, and self-love can help increase our self-esteem and self-confidence. So what does self-care mean exactly? It can be different things to different people. For you, it could be surrounding yourself with anti-anxiety remedies like lavender and practicing mindfulness. Perhaps it’s making sure you have time every day to exercise. Obviously, healthy eating will make you feel better. But it can also be as simple as focusing on words of wisdom for a few minutes each on topics like mental health, nature, and gratitude—or one of these 30 quotes that celebrate self-care. In 2020, this is more important than ever.