THE ROI of Self-Love
It’s often so much easier to invest the time we spend on ourselves externally, rather than internally.
That was certainly the case for me.
Yes, I did the workouts, drank the healthy juices, enjoyed the fun with friends… and that’s not what I’m talking about.
Spiritually I had put myself to the back of the queue and I wasn’t even aware of the harm it was doing me.
It is said that where we think we need self-discipline, we usually need more self-love.
This is particularly true for High Achievers who all too often are prone to put their own well-being aside in pursuit of greater glory.
The path to self-love starts with self compassion and builds over time through small acts of kindness towards ourselves that have a positive impact on our nervous system.
Science shows that when we give ourselves a hug or put our hand on our hearts, not only does it trigger the release of the love hormone oxytocin, it also activates the same area of the brain that is used when we show compassion and empathy towards others. Double whammy!
In contrast, being harsh with ourselves activates our amygdala, the part of our brain that reacts to threat. This triggers the release of stress hormones adrenaline and cortisol, which over time leads to chronic stress, lowering of the immune function and puts us at risk of depression, heart disease and a host of other nasties.
Investing in loving ourselves not only pays dividends for our individual mental and physical well-being, it also reaps huge rewards for our leadership skills.
Research has indicated that a deficiency in self-love contributes to a host of destructive behaviours at work; stifling innovation, prejudicing decision making, fostering a culture of insecurity and bullying and an inability to listen.
Who wants to work in a place like that?
Cultivating a small ritual for ourselves every day is a great place to start to build our self-compassion.
It doesn’t have to be extensive.
It helps to be quiet and absent of any distraction.
Mine is super simple; at the start of the day, I read myself a short thought for the day to set myself up and at the end of day ask myself what I am celebrating before I go to sleep.
What did I do well? What did I handle skilfully? What am I choosing to let go of?
That’s it. Nothing fancy. Baby steps.
Try it and let me know how you get on.
The return is definitely worth the investment.
