5 Simple Self-Care Practices to Try If Your Love Language Is Quality Time
There are five general ways in which people experience and express their love, deemed the love languages. For example, maybe the most important indicator that someone cares for you is that they compliment you, give you gifts, do things for you, give you lots of hugs and kisses or spend quality time with you.
But while many people think of the love languages only in relation to how they care for others, we think it's also critical to consider what matters to you when it comes to loving yourself.
Maybe your love language is quality time, for example. Being with the people you care about, and dedicating your time to one another makes you feel more loved than just about anything else. But you can also practice self-care by giving yourself the undivided attention you need. Here's how.
Reading
Reading is a fabulous way to spend quality time with yourself because it requires you to devote a good chunk of quiet time to the act, allowing you to build other worlds and explore new ideas from the comfort of your mind. Build the right environment to read within, and reading can become one of your favorite calming experiences, allowing you to develop your imagination, learn new things and broaden your horizons. Reading is also said to lead to better sleep and increased empathy. Plus, it's just plain fun. Is there truly a better form of self-care?
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Journaling
While reading can be a great way to explore ideas outside of yourself, journaling is one of the best methods for understanding what's happening within. Make it part of your routine to spend at least a few minutes daily writing about your thoughts, feelings and experiences as a way of getting to know yourself better. Journaling is also a great outlet when repetitive thoughts keep swirling in your head. That's real quality time with yourself. Not sure where to start? HERE are some of our favorite things to journal about.
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Meditation
Mindfulness is at the core of self-care, so it's no surprise that meditation is an important technique for anyone who values quality time. At its core, meditation is a focus on the present, concentrating on the breath as you inhale and exhale, and noticing when the mind wanders before—without judgment—bringing the mind back to your breathing. It's all about being with yourself fully, and in the moment, while nurturing the mind, body and spirit all at once. If there's a better definition of quality time, we don't know it.
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Tidying
Cleaning up truly is a reflective act, and there's something almost meditative of tidying, in that it can demand all of your focus, allowing you to hone in on the present rather than worrying about the past or future. Apply your time to making your space work best for you. What is everything's place? Is it time to let go of some things, and allow others to shine in the spotlight? You're in control, so change your surroundings into a reflection of yourself. Plus, having a clear, clean space to spend time within will further improve the quality of the time you spend within it.
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Time in Nature
If you've ever felt completely rejuvenated after a few minutes in the sunshine, some exposure to trees and many breaths of fresh air, you know the restorative properties of being out in nature. Whenever you get the chance to be outdoors, make the most of that time. Appreciate the breeze, the plant life and maybe even the animals you might stumble across as you take in the beauty of the earth. Whether you're alone or not, this quality time is healing, and will continue to have benefits even once you've stepped back inside.
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Is receiving gifts another of your love languages? Click HERE to find out some self-care practices for you.