For Valentine's Day, I released a necklace that is not only cute for women of any age, but it also serves as a reminder to anyone struggling with self-love.

I sincerely believe that self-love is the key to a happy life, which is what this necklace depicts. Whenever you're struggling with finding balance in your life, you're feeling overwhelmed or you're feeling lost, try to come back to yourself and love yourself a little (or a lot) extra.  

What is self-love? I'll first tell you what it's not. Self-love is not selfish. Self-love is necessary in order to be the best version of yourself and in order to be a better mother, wife, daughter and friend. Here are some ways that you can practice self-love instantly:

1. Say no to things that you don't want to do. Perhaps you are feeling pressured by someone to do something that you don't really want to do, but you cave in over and over because you want to please them and be "liked". There is no relationship that is more important than the one that you have with yourself. When you continually neglect yourself, it affects your self-esteem. Listen to what you truly want to do and do that. Remember that "no" is a complete sentence. Say it more often and try not to feel guilty about it afterwards. 

2. Stop comparing yourself to others. This is a tough one when social media forces images of others onto us daily. We compare our lives to our friends' lives on Facebook, etc. Comparing ourselves to others is natural, but it can also be dangerous. Try and remember that there is only one you and you are pretty damn amazing! Instead of comparing yourself with others, focus on yourself and your own journey. Take a break from social media if you have to. The shift of new energy, alone, will help you feel more confident and happy.

3. Find something that sets your soul on fire. This is a big one for me because what sets my soul on fire is what I also do for a living. In my case, I need more balance or my mental health suffers. Therefore, I also choose to take breaks when I'm feeling overwhelmed. I practice yoga, barre and meditation and adding these calming activities has helped my mindset a lot. It's something that makes me feel proud, calm and confident. Other ideas are gardening, running, hiking, painting, taking an online class, learning a new craft, etc. There are a lot of hobbies that you can do that will allow you to "escape" your own thoughts for awhile. Sometimes it takes a lot of tries to find something that sticks. Don't give up!

4. Practice more self-care. Self-care and self-love go hand-in-hand. By taking the best care of your physical body, your mind will function properly. Your health is everything, that includes your physical and your mental health. Eating healthy, getting medical care followups, seeing your mental health counselor, taking your vitamins, eliminating alcohol, and getting good sleep are all examples of self-care that will only benefit your life. 

5. Protect your energy. Don’t be afraid to let go of toxic people. If there’s someone who is bringing toxicity into your life step away from them. Don’t be afraid to do this. It’s liberating and important, even though it may be painful. The more that you put yourself first, the easier this will become.

6. Embrace your past. Everyone has a past. You may not be proud of yours. But you survived! You cannot live in your past. It is over with and there is absolutely nothing you can do except to learn from your mistakes and move forward in a healthier way. When you start loving yourself more, you will be sure not to repeat the same mistakes again. Let. It. Go. Create a better future that you're more proud of and look at your past with fondness and how because of it, you are who you are now.  

7. Process your fears. Don’t reject your fears make a point to understand them. Evaluating your fears helps you to gain clarity and unmask issues in your life that were causing you anxiety in the first place. Once you learn to face these issues, they will stop having control over your daily life. You could even alleviate all of your anxiety by facing it head-on.

8. Be Kind to Yourself. Life is messy and hard sometimes. Even when you don't feel particularly powerful, think about how far you've come and how you've survived all of your worst days. Give yourself credit about how strong you are. Praise yourself. You're trying and wanting to be a better person and right now that's enough.

Remember that we are all powerful beyond measure. We just have to believe in ourselves and find the right coping mechanisms to harness that power. Be patient with yourself. Self-love isn't easy and it may not happen overnight. However, if you keep practicing, you will start to notice a shift and all of your other relationships will benefit because of it.

Blessings and Happy Self-Love Day! ❤️