Here is the final rundown of the last days of the challenge. I got a little caught up with life and I forgot to post on social media 2 of the last 9 days but I have definitely did not let up on my intention to Be Kind to Myself.

Day 22: Relaxing Outside... All it can take is 10 minutes to ground yourself after a busy day, or a hard workout or a bad mood. I decided to get down on the actual ground under a tree and imagine myself rooted to the Earth, feeling as sturdy as the tree I was resting under. It was rather powerful to feel that connected to the Earth.

Day 23: (Didn't post) Window Shopping... I had a lot of restless energy this day so I decided to walk around the mall for a few hours. At first, I started to get all caught up in thoughts about not being able to afford things I wanted and how can anyone afford nice things. After some thought about that I landed on the idea that I am grateful for what I do have, and allowing myself to spiral into thoughts of lack was not going to help me move towards abundance. I ended up buying myself an iced coffee and enjoying strolling around till I tired out.

Day 24: Spending quality time with my dogs... I am such a dog person I could spend my entire day focused on what my dogs and I could do together. So that's pretty much exactly what I did. We went to the pet store, then to the dog park and then sat outside a coffee shop while they enjoyed some bones I brought with me. It was super nice to see them have such a good time.

Day 25: Stretching... Finding space in tight spots is a struggle for a lot of people. I at times find myself sore and wanting to not move if I don't take time to stretch. Focusing on how I feel in my body helps me live a more balanced life rather than disconnecting my head from my body. When I've been disconnected from my body in the past its led to unhelpful and unhealthy behaviors that have not served me, so focusing on this can be a blessing.

Day 26: Quality time with my Husband... At times this feels like such a luxury since we both find ourselves busy with one thing or another. Setting the intention to do something together generally helps me feel more connected and grounded in our relationship. This is true when I spend time with anyone I love, the more quality time in my life I get with them, the more full I feel.

Day 27: Yoga at my office... Spending some time doing spinal twists and some cat-cows helps break up the day of sitting behind my desk or in my counseling chair. Getting on the ground and practicing some yoga poses was exactly what I needed.

Day 28: Bring my dog to work day... Another day where my dogs came into my practice to be kind to myself. Having a dog around reminds me that I can love myself unconditionally just as my dog loves me unconditionally. Its truly a splendid feeling.

Day 29: (Didn't post) Dinner with a friend... This is something that I truly cherish due to the feeling that as I get older, its even more of a struggle to make new friends, so if I can capture the time I do have free with times with friends I can feel more connected to the diverse community we live in.

Day 30: Hike...Well as you can see being outside is one of my favorite things to do, and I finished this one off with a video talking about my email course on Moving Towards Self-Love that has information about the science of our brain and applicable tools to find yourself by loving yourself and why it is so valuable to do.

Email me at hello@stephaniekontercounseling.com if you'd like to sign up for the email course.

Each day starting March 1, 2018 I will be practicing a challenge that I encourage you to join. 30 Days of Self-Love, Self-Acceptance, and Kindness to myself.

Reasons why this is important:

1. When you love yourself, the world changes around you. When you see things through the perspective of self love you won't find yourself beating yourself up and that things will seem lighter and brighter each day since you will have less heaviness of self negativity weighing you down.

2. It will help you reach other goals you've set for yourself. Research has found that building yourself up instead of tearing yourself down can lead to better health decisions. Often times we think flogging ourself for our short comings will motivate, when the exact opposite is found to be true.

3. It can help you procrastinate less. Research suggests that self-compassion can reduce the stress that leads us to procrastinate or avoid responsibilities. This is because it helps us recognize the true downside of the habit without putting us in a negative thought spiral. Try a little self-affirmation, which has been shown to increase problem-solving skills when you’re stressed.

4. Help you stand up for yourself when you need or want to advocate for yourself. If you believe in yourself you'll believe in your causes and be willing to stand up and say something rather than sit on the sidelines.

5. Being kind to yourself will motivate you to be kind to others. In general when you feel good, you'll want to spread that joy and love, and you'll find yourself helping others not out of obligation or to have people like you, but to help them feel the same joy you do.

Now you may be asking well what do I do to Be Kind to Myself, follow along on my blog and Facebook page for ideas of things you can do.

At the end of the 30 Day challenge of practicing Being Kind to Yourself #LoveMyself18 with one act of self love, I will release an Intensive 5 Day Challenge of Self-Acceptance email series. So start practicing one act of kindness to have access to the email series.

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