Toddler Story Time is back at 10:15 a.m. each Wednesday at the Warsaw Community Public Library. Pictured is Stephanie Hershberger, reading a story book out loud. Photo provided by WCPL.

By Melissa Chapman
Cataloging Supervisor, Warsaw Community Public Library

Did you know January is self-love month? This a wonderful way to start off the year because self-love is the key to having solid self-esteem and real happiness. It’s hard to have either of those without it. It’s much too easy to get carried away by life’s dilemmas and forget to appreciate yourself. Self-love month is a time to appreciate yourself and invest time in conscious physical, spiritual and psychological growth.

It’s easy to encourage people to “love yourself” more because it sounds nice, but it’s hard to just wake up one morning and decide to love yourself. What does self-love look like? For you to be at your best, your body, mind and spirit should be at their best too. Let’s look at a few ways you can make self-love an important part of your self-care regimen. Self-love comes in as many forms as there are people. The important thing is to identify the activities and habits that nourish you and to make them part of your daily routine.

Every self-help book pushes building self-love but, unfortunately, many people still don’t know how it is done. Here are some activities to help. Start a healthy regimen; spoil yourself; or do something new just for you. Go out for dinner or buy yourself a gift to celebrate or pamper yourself. Celebrate small victories, and practice positive reinforcement in every area of your life. Reward yourself for achieving set goals or even completing small milestones. Encouragement goes a long way towards success. Wake up each day with gratitude for your healing sleep and then create the new day before you infused with self-love.

Self-love means being more conscious about things that affect your health and lifestyle. People who practice self-love enjoy numerous mental and physical health benefits. Love starts from within. People can only love others when they learn to love ourselves. Self-love month reminds you to appreciate yourself and invest in personal growth. It is the ideal time to prioritize your happiness and well-being.

Self-Love Month reminds people that they are important and that they must not let anyone take that away. Give the gift of self-love; you’ll find it will draw many blessings! Come in to Warsaw Community Public Library to start your self-love journey.