Happy first day of April! For those of you that don’t already know, before every month I like to set my intentions for the upcoming month, which means coming up with tasks or goals that I feel like I need to work on. I have set my intentions for the month of April and I strongly encourage you, my friends, to do the same.
For the last week of March, I have been consistently practicing the following three self-love tips. I plan on carrying out these tips and making them my primary focus for the month of April. I hope my intentions bring you motivation to do the same or at least give you a little inspiration to find other ways to practice some form of self-love every single day!
1. Meditate. I am new to trying out meditation, but so far I feel like I am reaping at least a few of the benefits that meditation has to offer. Some of the benefits proclaimed by individuals who meditate on a daily basis include: helping with depression, reducing anxiety, sharpening 
concentration, improving multitasking skills, increasing self-awareness, and improving overall happiness. Some studies even argue that the practice can help with cardiovascular and immune health as well as going as far as suggesting the role meditation has in decreasing the aging process. For those new to meditating, like myself, I suggest trying out ‘Headspace’, an app that helps walk you through the entire meditation process. ‘Headspace’ customizes the time you spend meditating based on your past experience, if any, as well as customizing your experience based on your overall goal and purpose in wanting to meditate i.e. better sleep, reducing anxiety, focusing, etc.
“Where there is peace and meditation, there is neither anxiety or doubt.” –St. Francis de Sales
2. Read. I have been reading every single night during the Monday through Friday workweek. My current read: How to be Single & Happy. I personally enjoy reading self-help books before bed.
Reading before bed not only makes me tired which helps promote a good nights rest, but reading positive and inspirational books before going to sleep puts me at ease and in an overall good state of mind as I unwind and wrap up my day. For those of you that have a little more time in the morning, I encourage you to read your uplifting books in the AM because, well…I can’t think of any better way to start your day than with a positive mindset.
“We lose ourselves in books, but we find ourselves there too.” -Unknown
3. Gratitude. Gratitude is a powerful process for shifting your energy and bringing more of what you want into your life. Be grateful for what you already have and you will attract more good things. 
So how can we do this? At the end of each day I have been practicing writing down 3 things that I am thankful for as well as 1 thing that I am proud of that I accomplished for the day. Practicing what we are thankful for each day puts us in that positive mindset. Even when some days seem rough, challenging, and/or sad remind yourself that there is always, always something to be thankful for!
These three tips may seem like an inconvenience and you may even question their true impact, but I promise you, taking a little time out of your day EVERY single day to show yourself some self-love and self-care pushes us towards the big picture, achieving a happier and more fulfilling life! My hope for you all is that this month (along with every other month) is full of self-love & happiness!
…And remember my friends, that April showers, brings us May flowers!
xoxo,
Kyla
Kyla Benson 