Maggie Wu’s philosophy for her brand and her life is really quite simple. One of the most important message she gave us to listen to y0ur inner voice, find your true north and to belong to yourself.

You have to love yourself before anyone else can love you. You have to trust and believe in yourself and in that your life has purpose and meaning.

Often times, we question our ability to choose what we believe to be right for ourselves, for fear that we’ll be judged or misunderstood. Belonging to yourself is all about being your own best advocate. It’s about being dedicated to the care and nurturing of your mind, body and spirit. This kind of self-love is about trusting yourself, nurturing you and accepting who you are, deep down inside.

Of course, it’s not as simple as it sounds. Taking care of ourselves is not all bubble baths, essential oils and drinking tea. Nor is it just practicing yoga for an hour a day while the rest of the day is a complete mess. It requires mental care, physical wellbeing and emotional support for ourselves, by ourselves.

Here are some actionable self-love and self-care mechanisms for some of the common issues a lot of us face, as contributed by our wonderful community.

#1 Stop putting pressure on yourself

In a word that is constantly on the move, it is easy to feel like we have to finish everything on our to-do list. And not just what is on the list, but the 10 other items that ‘should’ be done even though they are not on the list. Multitasking is a word that even a kindergarten student is taught these days. So rather than waiting for that feeling of overwhelm to hit before making a change, take a breather. Relax and give yourself permission to slow down a bit.

Actionable steps : Cut your to-do lists in half. Schedule one activity at a time and resist the urge to multitask.

The next time you reach for the phone while waiting in line at the grocery store, put the phone down and instead make eye contact with the person in front of you and smile.

#2 Be nice to yourself

The pressures of society and the need to outperform others often leads to a hateful relationship with our failures. Failures are not a bad thing – they almost always teach us very important lessons in life. But perhaps the biggest lesson failures teach us is that at the end of the day, we’re human. And just because we know better, doesn’t necessarily mean we’ll always do better. In short, it’s important to be kind to ourselves as we are in a constant process of learning throughout our lives. We must be gentle with our hearts and  handle ourselves with the same care and respect that we’d extend to anyone else.

Actionable steps : Strengthen your subconscious mind with positive affirmations.

Listen to an audio clip every night before you go to sleep that has positive affirmations on it to help erase old negative thoughts that are in your subconscious mind – from Pat Ward.

#3 Be you

There is a very famous quote “Be yourself; everyone else is already taken”. Don’t try to be like everyone else. Don’t try to act like someone else. Be yourself. Rely and trust upon your own decisions, on your own beliefs. Only when we learn to accept the qualities that are inherently our own, are we able to embrace the fullness of who we are. For me this was acknowledging that I am a terrible cook. Sure I can cook a meal to feed myself and my family, but beyond that I am lost in the kitchen. So rather than fight that and be disappointed when I burn toast, again, I just accept it and make alternative arrangements during meal time.

All of the guest so far on CulturallyOurs have advocated this belief so beautifully. We cannot advocate for ourselves if we are constantly hiding who we are. By being honest about our strengths and weaknesses, we give ourselves permission to live our most graceful lives.

Actionable steps : Document your strengths and weakness to give yourself permission to practice grace with yourself.

Keep a journal and share your victories with your loved ones so that they celebrate your accomplishments with you – from Kelly Ann.