I Practiced a Summer of Radical Self-love. Here’s What Happened.

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Radical self-love. What does that even mean? In this day and age, the word self-care gets thrown around a lot. People are always touting the importance of practicing self-care. I have written about the myth of self-care and how it’s not so much about actions as it is about intentions. It’s about honoring yourself, practicing empathy with yourself, being authentic, and putting yourself first. Most of all, it’s about loving yourself unconditionally. That is where radical self-love comes in.

What is Radical Self-Love?

Radical self-love, as I envision it, is about unconditional love for one’s self. Loving yourself because of your flaws, not in spite of them. It is knowing, believing, and acting on the knowledge that you are worthy of love. It’s holding boundaries with yourself and others so that you can be in your own integrity while remaining compassionate towards those around you. It’s about having your own back, supporting and loving yourself no matter what, and having the guts to speak up for yourself and what you need.

Why I Decided to Practice a Summer of Radical Self-Love

This has been a hard year, am I right? Global pandemic aside, I was going through many major life changes in the start of 2020; new job, new career, new business, and toddlerhood… Things were changing rapidly in my house and I felt like I was taking them in stride. Then the pandemic hit. Still, things were good, surprisingly good. And then I got pregnant.

My energy was zapped. My mood was all over the place. My nausea lasted all day long AND I was on lock down with a toddler. Needless to say, my mood shifted a bit in those months. As summer came and restrictions were lifted, my nausea waned, and I thought my mood would improve. But it didn’t. I decided that the pandemic, the pregnancy, and all of the life changes were a lot for anyone, so I should give myself some grace. It’s okay, this is hard. Let’s use this as a growth opportunity.

I felt so restless and unsure, I thought that this would be the perfect time (before baby number two made his appearance) to get myself back in a way. Focus on me and my needs a bit. Reclaim myself and my direction in life.