Quick Self-Love Practice: How to Love Yourself Right Now
How to Love Yourself Right Now
When we talk about self-love, it’s easy to imagine it as a feeling. Something warm and glowy that you either have or you don’t.
But in reality, self-love isn’t a feeling. It’s a relationship.
And like all meaningful relationships, it’s built moment by moment… through presence, listening, and care.
If you’ve ever struggled with self-criticism, emotional overwhelm, or feeling unworthy, you’re not alone. Most of us weren’t taught how to love ourselves in real, embodied ways. Instead, we learned to minimize our feelings, push through our pain, or perform for approval.
But even if you didn’t grow up with consistent love and attunement, here’s the good news:
It’s never too late to learn how to love yourself.
Your body and nervous system are capable of healing. And that healing begins with how you relate to yourself, especially in the small, everyday moments of your life.
What Is Real Self-Love?
If real self-love is a relationship, what does that actually look like?
Real self-love means knowing how to meet yourself in the moments that matter, when you’re overwhelmed, when you’re hurting, when you feel like you’ve messed up or don’t belong.
It shows up in how you treat yourself, especially in the moments that matter most - when you’re overwhelmed, when you feel like you’ve messed up, when your emotions are tender or loud or hard to name.
Self-love is the choice to stay with yourself instead of turning away.
To move closer, rather than shutting down.
To ask, “What’s happening inside me right now?” and truly listen for the answer.
One of the most helpful ways to understand this kind of inner relationship is through the lens of the attachment cycle, a process from developmental psychology that shows how secure connection is built.
The cycle goes like this:
A need arises
The need is expressed
Someone responds with warmth and attunement
Over time, that responsiveness builds trust
This is how babies develop secure attachment. It is also how we, as adults, can learn to feel safe with ourselves.
Each time you notice a feeling, instead of numbing it,
Each time you allow your inner voice to speak,
Each time you respond with presence instead of pressure,
You are reinforcing that trust.
You are creating a steady inner relationship where love becomes something felt, not just imagined.
This is what real self-love looks like in practice.
It’s a way of relating to yourself and your inner world.
And it grows stronger each time you show up with compassion for whatever is true inside of you.
A Quick Self-Love Practice That Makes a Difference
Many people search for answers on how to love yourself, but they often believe it will require major life changes or years of effort.
In truth, one of the most powerful ways to begin is to pause and check in with yourself.
To take just a few minutes to say:
I’m here.
I’m listening.
You matter to me.
This simple moment of inward attunement may not look dramatic on the outside. But internally, it is profound.
When you meet yourself with presence, you are completing that attachment cycle. You are repairing the old pattern of turning away. You are creating the conditions for secure, loving connection within.
That is why I created this week’s short episode. It is a quick self-love practice to help you return to yourself, even when you’re busy, overwhelmed, or unsure how to begin.
It’s a gentle reminder that you don’t have to wait until you feel “ready” to love yourself.
You can begin right now. With the breath you’re taking, the emotion you’re feeling, or the part of you that’s longing to be seen.
Why This Self-Love Practice Matters (and How It Heals)
Most of us carry old wounds from moments when we weren’t met, supported, or understood. These moments, especially when repeated, can create a sense of disconnection from ourselves.
We learn to override our bodies.
We push down our needs.
We stop trusting our own inner signals.
Healing begins when we do the opposite.
When we notice, listen, respond, and return to ourselves.
When we begin to relate to ourselves not with judgment, but with curiosity and presence.
This is the deeper work of self-love.
And today’s quick self-love practice is a simple but powerful way to do exactly that.
It’s a somatic practice of deep listening; of caring for yourself in a way that builds trust, compassion, and internal honesty. It’s a tangible practice of offering yourself kindness and attention.
Because when you meet yourself in this way, something inside begins to soften.
And slowly, the relationship you have with yourself begins to change.
Try the Quick Self-Love Practice now!
Episode timing:
00:00 - How to love yourself right now
04:14 - Quick Self-Love Practice
16:58 - Conclusion
🐠 Somatic Self-Love Retreat in Costa Rica 🐠
Join me in Costa Rica this winter for a deeply restorative Somatic Self-Love Retreat - a gentle, immersive experience designed to help you reconnect with your body, soften old self-protection, and return to your truest self.
Through daily somatic practices, heart-opening workshops, and healing time in nature, you'll learn how to cultivate embodied self-love from the inside out.
We’ll snorkel in turquoise waters, hike through sun-dappled forests, and go on an ocean safari in search of dolphins and whales. This retreat is a sacred pause - a nervous system reset and a return to the parts of you that are ready to feel alive again.
Space is limited! ✨
How was that Quick Self-Love Practice for you?
How do you feel now? And what shifted within?
Please let me know in the comments!
➡️ If you enjoyed this episode, I would love it if you would subscribe, rate, and review this podcast!
And please join me every Friday on this beautiful journey out of your head, and into your more embodied and authentic self. 🩷🩷🩷
Thanks so much for joining me today!
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Enjoy more like this: Self-Compassion Exercises, Somatic Emotional Processing, Embodied Self-Love Series
About me
Hey, I’m Karena!
I’m a somatic emotional healing coach here to help you quickly identify and heal the subconscious blocks, old emotional wounds and self-sabotaging core beliefs that are holding you back!
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