The 7 Day Self Love Challenge
How do we build self love, this unwavering belief in our own worth? And then when we do, how do we hang on to it in a world that wants to take it from us?
One of the most effective tools for cultivating self love is journaling. Wherever you are in your journey, intentional journaling can help you build, strengthen, and celebrate your self love.
For the next week, we challenge you to open up your Passion Planner and follow the journaling prompts below. You’re always welcome to download the FREE 7 Day Self Love Challenge to track your progress. (It’s designed to fit perfectly in the Space of Infinite Possibility section in your Passion Planner and for you to take it as many times as you want!)
How to love yourself more
Because each person is unique, how someone begins and continues their journey is also unique. But as with our relationships, we can look to the basics and foundations of love: trust, respect, and communication. When self love doesn’t come naturally, these other bits might not come as naturally either. Focus on building these up in baby steps.
Ideas to start your self love journey
- Trust: Keep one promise you’ve made to yourself. Whether it’s a small goal or a task you’ve been meaning to get to, you build trust with yourself when you honor the commitments you’ve made.
- Respect: Honor your mental and physical capacity. If you don’t have the energy for an outing, request a rain check. Be kind to your body and to your mind. They’re just as much a part of you as your personality or relationships.
- Communication: Check in with yourself through journaling or trying our free 7 Day Self Love Challenge. In the same way that you’d call a friend or loved one just to see how they’re doing, do the same for yourself.
The 7 Day Self Love Challenge
Day 1: List 5 things you love about yourself.
Let’s start the week with a bit of a benchmark test: what do you love about yourself? Come on, we know you can do it!
Day 2: What have other people done for you that made you feel loved?
Even though we’re highlighting our self relationship, sometimes it’s easier to recognize love in our external relationships, especially when we’re exploring these self love questions for the first time.
When was the last time you felt really seen and loved by someone? How did they show their love for you? How did it make you feel?
Day 3: Name 3 of your favorite ways to take care of yourself.
Now let’s take some of those acts of love we identified yesterday, and ask: How can I do those same things for myself?
Think of it like one of those takeout menus you keep in your kitchen drawer - pull it out and remember your self care checklist when you’re not sure if you need a face mask, a call with a friend, or (literally) a big takeout order.
Pro Tip: Grab your Self Care Sticker Book and make this page one you’ll want to revisit often!
Day 4: Has there been something you’ve been too hard on yourself for? What would you need to do to let this burden go?
This is where I’m going to ask you to dig a little deep. I once asked this as a rhetorical question (think flailing arms, yelling at the sky vibes), but realized that this was an important thing to identify before I could progress toward self love.
What self-deprecating thoughts keep coming up in your day-to-day? What negative memories, experiences, and feelings are you hanging on to? What would you need to do to let them go?
Day 5: How do you want to speak to yourself? Write an affirmation and recite it out loud in front of a mirror.
I credit this one to my therapist, who once asked me, “Where did you learn to talk to yourself that way?”
I am reviving the word “shook” just to say that I was SHOOK - I realized that I was so used to putting myself down it never occurred to me that (like literally everything else we do!) I had to learn it from somewhere. We don’t come out of the womb knowing how to be mean to ourselves, just like we don’t come into the world knowing how to crawl.
Where did your self blaming, self deprecating, and other negative self talk come from? How do you want to start speaking to yourself from now on?
Need some self love affirmation ideas? (We have 102 of them!)
Day 6: What have you overcome to be who you are today? Describe a time you’ve made yourself proud.
My guess: a lot of stuff! But let’s just start with one challenge that you’re proud to have tackled, and that helped you become who you are now. Our most formative experiences are often ones that don’t feel so awesome in the moment. But when we look back on our trials with hindsight, and recognize that they’re really, truly behind us, it’s hard not to feel a sense of “Oh yeah… I did THAT.”
Day 7: Go back to your list from Day 1. Add 5 more things you love about yourself.
At the end of your 7 Days of Self Love Challenge, circle back to the beginning. Add at least 5 more things to your original list. Or 50. Go off!
Did your self love thoughts come to you easier than they did at the beginning of the week? How do you feel looking back on your previous week of journal entries?
More Self Love Exercises
And just because I LOVE talking to you about self love, here are a few honorable mention self love and self care exercises.
Have a Sacred Solo or self love day
Set a Sacred Solo day each week. We all know quality time with those you love is great - do the same thing for you. Use this time to deep dive into a hobby, pamper yourself, or whatever else your soul desires for the day. Commit to it by writing it down in your planner as if it were another appointment on your calendar.
Cultivate a self love routine for body and mind
Take care of thy temple. Whether it means dressing to the nines or just making sure to take a shower today, your body carries you through love and life - take care of it!
Identify (and use!) self love resources
Learn what others have to say about mental health, body image, and whatever aspects of self love you want to hone in on. Create your own “self love team” so to speak! That way when the going gets tough, you have a plan in place. Here’s a few of our faves:
- Hunger by Roxane Gay is one I’ve been wanting to revisit!
- Open Path Psychotherapy collective offers counseling at very affordable rates. (Ranges from $30-$60)
- Have a friend or loved one on speed dial when you need someone to lean on.
Embrace your feels
Practice talking about your feelings. Letting others know how you feel has the underlying effect of teaching yourself that your feelings are worth hearing (and worth loving). Fellow Aquarii, I’m talking to YOU right now!
Chase your dreams
Daydream, plan, work toward, and believe in your goals. Nothing says “I love you, Self” like investing in your hopes and dreams.
Okay, seriously… self love isn’t always easy, friends! The highs are high, the lows are low, and it can sometimes feel like we’re starting from zero.
The good news: you’ve already been putting the work in for your entire life! Even in times when love is the farthest thing we’re feeling toward ourselves, we are always collecting the experiences and lessons that will ultimately bring us to our highest, most self-loving selves.
Download the FREE 7 Day Self Love Challenge PDF here!
