Love & Happiness: 5 Expressions of Self-Love

Michelle Clay cardio vascular health health and wellness me time self-love stress management stress relief valentine's day wellness

“Dare to love yourself as if you were a rainbow with gold at both ends.” 
― Aberjhani, Journey through the Power of the Rainbow: Quotations from a Life Made Out of Poetry

Greetings #WellnessWOWers, Super Wonder Women and  those who seek wellness, harmony and balance in every area of your life! Dr. Michelle Clay here, your Holistic Physician specializing in stress release for burned out business-women and overwhelmed overachievers helping you find your happy and healthy place of harmony.

Happy Love day! This is the day that is coined Valentine’s day. People purchase items to show how they care and others wait to receive items affirming how much others care. This day should be a reminder of what it is to love and to do that everyday.

A song by Kirk Franklin says:

 Love.
A word that comes and goes.
But few people really know,
What it means to really love somebody.

To really love someone and to have the capacity to love someone on the level that you want to receive it, you must start with self-love and express it daily.
Per Oxford dictionary, the definition of self-love is:
Regard for one's own well-being and happiness (chiefly considered as a desirable rather than narcissistic characteristic).

1. Me time
One of the top complaints I hear from overworked, overwhelmed over-achievers is the lack of “me time”. Some have shared with me the desire but feel it is something that is unattainable. “me time” is whatever you make it. There isn’t a time limit on it or a formal definition. The only requirement, is that it is a set time and activity or lack of that is all about YOU! Not what your children need, your mate, friends or family members. It definitely should not be family friendly because that would limit your options. It can be 5 minutes or 5 days. Know that “me time” is not a luxury or something that you can have one day or some day. It is a requirement! It is how you refresh and reset. For example, your “me time” could be your morning coffee or morning tea. However long it takes to drink the cup, can be your set “me time”. No phones, questions, texts or requests. As the young people used to say (myself included), “Do YOU!”

 

2. Chocolate
Chocolate is wonderful! I absolutely love it, especially dark chocolate with sea salt and almonds. I savor every bite and while doing so, I don’t talk, I only listen. I listen to the tantalizing tales my taste buds tell me. I relish in the richness of the flavors and how it makes me feel to indulge in delicacy. Many of you may have received chocolate as a gift for Valentine’s day, and if you didn’t, get your own. Chocolate is made from the cocao seed which contains flavonoids, one being flavanol. Cocao contains a flavonoid called flavanol which contributes to vascular health. Studies show flavanols contribute to lower blood pressure and cardiovascular health. The key to experiencing these benefits is dark chocolate.  The higher the cocao content the better. Also get chocolate that has not been processed so much. The more the chocolate has been processed, the content and thus benefits of flavanol is lost. Chocolate also contains a compound called theobromine. Theobromine contributes to feeling excited and stimulated because of its vasodilating (opens up the blood vessels) effects So today on Valentine’s day, get just a dab of rich dark chocolate. Due to its beneficial compounds, it can stimulate you to express love to yourself and let it flow to your special someone in a more intimate way. After all intimacy is one of the greatest stress relievers.

 

3. Push the “stop” button
This can be a tough one for the Super Wonder Women and over-achievers. In their mind, stopping can feel like quitting and failure. Recognize the difference between progressing and moving. Think of the hamster, he moves a lot but is not progressing anywhere. Push the “stop” button to your ever-growing to-do list and just BE. Just be your phenomenal, beautiful, intelligent and loving self! You are a human being so just be.

 

4. Live intentionally vs. incidentally
What makes you happy? What is it that you really want and how do you get it? When you ask yourself these questions, then exercise patience for the answers, it will be easier to live with intention. Living intentionally is different than incidentally. Incidentally means you react based on what happens in life; chance occurrences. Live intentionally that you will be healthy, you will have peace of mind and you will be happy. All of your thoughts, actions and relationships  should direct you to that place. For some, what makes them happy and gets them to their “happy place” are the simple pleasures in life. A calming stroll with the sun warming your face and the breeze massaging your scalp, or watching children play freely. Whatever you do, and however you do it, do it with intention to reach your happy place and stay there.

 

5. Treat Yourself
I absolutely love treating myself. I love myself therefore I know that I deserve and am worthy of nice things and to feel good. I’ll treat myself to a massage, spa day, slaying pair of shoes or a day in bed. Whatever honors me, my physical health and emotional well-being, I’m game. This is a great expression of self-love when you know that you are WORTHY!

 

Because I honor you and know that you are worthy, on this day as we celebrate love by first loving ourselves, I have a special gift for you. For 7 days, I’m gifting to you

 

Release Recharge tea at a 15% discount. Go to www.stressfreelife.store and use coupon code "RELEASE15". This will facilitate your expression of self-love. Have your “me time” while savoring every sip, be aware that you are intentionally ingesting something to help you get to your healthy and happy place and you are treating yourself. You deserve it!

 

As I began to love myself I freed myself of anything that is no good for my health – food, people, things, situations, and everything that drew me down and away from myself. At first I called this attitude a healthy egoism. Today I know it is “LOVE OF ONESELF”.

                                              Charlie Chaplin

 

I know it can be tough to free yourself from things in your life that don’t honor you and stress you out. You need help, support and a strategy. Let’s do it together. www.freelifestrategy.com to schedule your 15-minute complimentary session and begin the process of creating your blueprint to balance, an expression of self-love.

See you then!

 

Yours in Health and Harmony,

Dr. Michelle Clay is a speaker, best-selling author & Holistic Physician specializing in the release and management of stress and its associated symptoms simply and naturally. Through her company FREELIFE7, Dr. Michelle enhances lives by harmonizing all dimensions of wellness through wellness coaching programs, workshops and speaking engagements to help stressed out and burned out high achievers, leaders and exhausted executives discover their sense of balance, calm, clarity and confidence to live a FREELIFE on purpose with passion. She is frequently called upon to give a refreshing holistic perspective on ways to release stress, recharge health and shift mindset for wellness success. 

 

 



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