The True Measure of Self-Love

Wouldn't it be great to get a little more self-love in your ilfe? There is a ton of talk about self-care these days...

Wouldn’t it be great to get a little more self-love in your life? There is a lot of talk these days about self-care, but if we struggle with loving ourselves, or even liking ourselves, it’s nearly IMPOSSIBLE to practice self-care! If you are someone who struggles with self-love and self-care, but you really want to, then this article is for you.

Did you know that talking about your emotions can help you feel better, and it can actually CHANGE YOUR BRAIN? According to this study, and researcher Matthew Lieberman, talking about our emotions “is ancient wisdom. Putting our feelings into words helps us heal better”.

You deserve support! Underneath all that self-criticism and loathing, you know you’re pretty awesome, right?

Maybe you already have a great support system. If that’s the case, and you’re struggling, then self-love might be to simply stop reading this, and go ahead and give that trusted friend or family member a call.

Sometimes our struggles are beyond our loved ones’ ability to help, and if that is true for you, then perhaps it’s time to call in some professional help.

When life is difficult, hiring a helping professional can be the ultimate act of self-care.

What kind of help is right for you?

There is certainly some overlap with how therapy and life coaching work and what each modality offers, but there are fundamental differences too. Therapy and coaching both offer support when people want help with solving problems, growing personally and professionally and increasing effectiveness in some areas of life.

Choose Therapy if You…

Are having debilitating or untreated symptoms of anxiety, depression or disordered eating that prevents you from functioning in your daily life
Are actively psychotic
Have unresolved trauma that needs to be addressed
Are contemplating suicide
Are in an abusive or volatile relationship
Are experiencing relationship issues and could benefit from couples counseling.

Consider Coaching if You…

Want to set goals you will actually achieve
Want advancement in your career
Want to challenge yourself and move out of your comfort zone.
Want to change unhealthy behaviors
Want to implement healthy habits and skills
Want to quiet your inner critic
Have experienced a resent upheaval in your life such as a divorce, job loss, death, or other difficult change
Want clarity and guidance to make a decision about the next stage of life
Are lacking skills to make the necessary changes to achieve your goals
Want to hold yourself accountable for achieving your goals

If you want to create lasting change in your life, then maybe coaching is your next step toward self-love. As you can see, coaching is a dynamic modality that can motivate and inspire you to create more important progress and change than you believe is possible.

Coaching does not require any specific training or credentialing, and many coaching programs offer certificates that can be gotten in less time that it takes to a decent vacation…so, how do you find someone who is QUALIFIED?

Look for someone who has a least a few of these qualifications:

Advanced education (Masters, PhD)
Credentialing or licensure in their profession
Personal or Professional success in the niche they offer services
A niche that fits with your goals
A philosophy that inspires you
Strategies that they are able to easily explain to you
Life Experience- this is invaluable!
Certificates are good too!

If you are nervous about getting started, here’s what you can expect from a typical session:

Identify or review your life vision
Review goals for the session including current obstacles or problems
Review previous week’s homework
Review lessons from online course work
Review upcoming week’s homework
Set goals for the next sessions

Maybe you are worried about the cost, or maybe you feel like you aren’t worth the investment…let me tell you from experience, decreasing your emotional suffering and finding ways to LOVE YOURSELF MORE ARE DEFINITELY WORTH IT!

Join Group HERE

Create MORE with Mary How

Transform your emotional suffering. Isn’t it time? Create MORE Peace Facebook Group is a group for women and men who want to transform their lives through mindfulness and creativity. We are a community of people from around the world, from different backgrounds who are learning skills to transform our emotional suffering. This community is a safe space for diverse voices to share their experiences about what they are creating and how they are transforming their lives. I’m so excited that you are here! Each week I post a mindfulness tip and a prompt to inspire you to creative action! This group is a forum where you are invited to share your art, your wins and your losses. We are here to support you along your way! Interested in working with me personally? Send me a direct message. Or sign up for my transformational online art therapy courses and emotional resiliency coaching at www.maryhow.com Join Group HERE

Written by Mary How, MA, ATR-BC

Mary How, owner of Create MORE with Mary How is an artist, art therapist, coach, teacher and writer with nearly twenty years of experience working with survivors of trauma, mental illness and behavioral disorders. A modern day mindfulness expert, Mary uses a unique combination of cognitive restructuring, mindfulness and art in her personalized coaching and group skills classes.

View and purchase Mary's art, inspiraltional products and self-care items in the Create MORE by Mary How Etsy Shop.

Categories: : anxiety, art therapy, coping skills, creativity, emotional intelligence, grief, self-care, self-love