FLIPSIDE OF MIDLIFE®️: THE TRUEST KIND OF LOVE
Self-acceptance is about embracing all of yourself unconditionally.
Self-love is a deeper emotional state that involves intentionally nurturing positive feelings toward yourself.
Think of self-acceptance as the foundation that self-love builds upon.
So, how do you construct your structure of self-love?
This is the best part, my friend!
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I'm Karli Newman, and you're listening to FLIPSIDE OF MIDLIFE®️ - a podcast for women in midlife and beyond who want to feel inspired, hopeful, confident, and more satisfied with life than ever before.
I show up here each week to help you grow your awareness and knowledge and expand into the powerful and resilient woman you are.
It's one of my greatest joys to help you foster a positive mindset, and then encourage you to explore the endless possibilities on the flipside of midlife.
Join my email list, work closely with me in my coaching programs, virtual workshops, and wellness events, and subscribe to my monthly ELEVATE membership that launches March 1st.
You can learn more about all of that on my shiny new website, flipsideofmidlife.com
Check it out and let me know your thoughts about it.
It's often a shift for women in midlife and beyond to focus on and prioritize themselves. Many of us land in this chapter of life depleted and out of touch with the woman inside. A lot of times, self-love hasn't been on the radar for years, if it ever was.
There can be a lot of guilt around taking action to foster self-love, too. We've been putting ourselves at the bottom of our priority list for so long that we have to retrain ourselves, and the others in our lives, that we will now be putting ourselves at the very tippity top of that list.
If this is a challenging change for you, start small. Do what you can to flex that self-love muscle gently at first. As you get stronger, you can start taking those big self-love steps.
You may want to take some notes for the next part of this episode, so grab your journal, notebook, or your favorite app and come right back here when you're ready. You know the drill. If now isn't a good time for you to jot things down, listen through to the end and I'll include the time marker in the transcript and show notes so you can get back to this exact spot when it is a good time.
Time Marker 2:25
Here are three ways you can nurture self-love starting today.
First, celebrate you. How often do you even think to do that?
If you're not sure how to go about it, I have a few ideas. Of course, I do.
Make a list of your strengths and unique gifts. Write about your accomplishments and what you're most proud of about yourself. Remember the challenges and difficulties you've overcome. Reflect on how far you've come over the years.
Look at the big picture of your life so far and truly celebrate how freaking amazing you are! Include a 'me' party when it's your birthday. Spend that time doing something you love that celebrates you.
I mean, look at all there is to love about you. The only you in this whole entire universe.
Another way to boost self-love is to discover and foster your passions. This is the stuff that lights you up!
You are a growing, evolving, and interesting woman. You are multifaceted and you've likely been holding all of that in instead of letting it emanate from you. Maybe you've buried it so deeply that you don't even know what lights you up.
And that is absolutely okay, my friend. This is the time, here in midlife and beyond, to uncover, explore, and decide what you are passionate about and what you aren't so thrilled about, too.
If stepping out of your comfort zone is intimidating, start by trying something you've always wanted to do, or even something you loved as a younger you.
Pick up an old hobby, try new restaurants, or take a class in something that interests you. Dust off that instrument, stock up on new art supplies or volunteer for a cause you want to support.
Uncover what the current version of you is passionate about. And when you find it, dive in! Seek out groups centered around your passion. Schedule time on your calendar to immerse yourself.
This expression of self-love helps you feel fulfilled and more satisfied with life.
The third way to nurture self-love is to set healthy boundaries. You knew it was coming, didn't you?
After years of letting others take, take, and take some more, it's time to love yourself enough to insist that they respect your time, energy, and overall well-being. It's time for you to insist that you respect those things, too.
Say no. Decide what you will and will not tolerate and use your words to communicate your expectations. Let go of pleasing others and start thinking of your wants and needs. Your boundaries tell others how to treat you, and they tell you how much you love yourself.
Yes, some boundaries will be challenging to set. Again, start small. Get a few successful boundary-setting experiences under your belt.
For those more difficult boundaries, write down the words you will use to communicate them. Then practice saying them out loud so they can roll off of your tongue when you're ready to use them.
Healthy boundaries allow you to preserve your overall well-being and contentment. And those, my friend are at the core of self-love.
Of course, there are many ways to nurture your self-love. When you choose to celebrate you, discover and foster your passions, and set healthy boundaries, you've got a really good start on watching your self-love bloom.
If you want to chat with me about your self-love practice and get some other ideas, I just added Wellness Hours Chats to my availability. These are 60-minute virtual calls where you can get my advice, share ideas, or ask me for a pep-talk even.
You can learn more and book a time with me at flipsideofmidlife.com.
Self-love does not have an on/off switch, my friend. It will always require intentional thought, planning, and action. On the positive side, the more you practice self-love the easier it gets.
Know that you are worth it and find the self-love practices that work best for you.
That's a wrap on today's episode, my friend. I look forward to talking about self-compassion next week and digging into how it supports your self-acceptance and your self-love.
Thanks for listening to FLIPSIDE OF MIDLIFE®️. I'd love to hear from you. What got you thinking during this episode?
Email me at karli@flipsideofmidlife.com, or if you're listening on Spotify, use your mobile app to respond to my Q and A and poll questions.
Wherever you listen. It's helpful if you hit the button to follow, subscribe, rate, or write a review. When you do, the algorithms help other women in midlife and beyond find this podcast.
Please help me spread the word!
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