And I guess the feeling is great when you are on top and everyone “loves” you, but what about when you are not on top—when what you do does not garner the attention and adoration that you wanted and needed? What do the voices in your head begin to tell you? Probably not-so-nice-things. And these not-so-nice-things are fundamentally vicious lies about your goodness.

In cases like these— when we need loving words and actions— to soothe and save our souls, we need to commit to a daily practice that will empower us to give ourselves the love that we need.

Here are five daily practices that will inspire self-love.

 Make a list of all of the loving things that you’ve always wanted someone to tell you, but never did. You could put these statements on index cards and read them throughout the day. You could also record these sweet nothings on your phone and replay them day after day until you internalize the messages.

 Write love letters to yourself. In your letter, get really specific about what is amazing about you. Don’t be modest and don’t forget to the focus on the physical as well. (No one is going to read this but you, so don’t censor yourself.)

Make a list of things that you’d like to have or do. In your budget, carve out a few dollars a month to save up for this purchase if it is costly. If what you want to do is free or inexpensive, pull out your calendar and schedule to do it within the next 48 hours. (Don’t dawdle.)

 Each time you give a gift to someone else, give something to yourself. Even if it is a kind word, a happy dance, or a discount lipstick, if you can do it for others, you can do it for yourself. Don’t wait.  (As a your Frugal Feminista friend, I would be remiss if I did not say to keep your purchases to frugal luxuries.)

 Attend to the negative voices in your head with humor and compassion. When I identify a really loud negative voice in my head saying something less than loving, I visualize a big version of me with big boxing gloves and a lawn mower. And well… the negative voice never has a chance of ruining my emotional landscape and I get a nice little chuckle in.

Frugal Feministas– What practices do YOU commit to that allow for more self-love??

[info_box type=”alert_box”]Caring for yourself including takes care of your finances.  I encourage all ladies who are serious about self-care to go on The Happy Finances Challenge. In 42 days you can learn to make money decisions that will lead to long-term financial happiness. [/info_box]