Medically reviewed by
Natalie Bessom, D.O. Board-certified family medicine doctor with specialty training in nutrition, USA
The concept of self love is a popular topic these days. It can help ease anxiety and put negative thoughts about oneself at bay.
While many people preach the importance of it, sometimes it can be difficult to find ways to actually practice self love, especially if you are constantly battling a thyroid condition.
The side effects of living with a thyroid issue can be draining both physically and mentally. So trying to put aside time to practice self love can seem nearly impossible.
To ease some of your burden, we’ve put together a list of tangible ways for people with thyroid conditions to create and practice self love!
Keep in mind that we all have unique ways of loving ourselves and self love looks a little different for everyone. The key is to find what self love practices work best for you!
Create A Self Love Routine
Whether this be taking an epsom salt bath, giving yourself an at-home facial or hair mask, cleaning your space, or turning on some of your favorite songs and dancing around, set aside time, even if it’s for 10 minutes, to pay attention to yourself.
Oftentimes we take our body for granted or we look at it negatively. Some common side effects of a thyroid condition include weight gain, hair loss, and dry skin. These side effects may cause self-esteem and body image issues.
On the contrary, your body’s sole purpose is dedicated to protecting you. It may sound cliché as Dove’s slogan “Love the skin you’re in” sounds, it’s true. For a moment every day, shower yourself with gratitude and love yourself!
Stop Comparing Yourself & Your Life to Those With a Healthy Thyroid
This is something that we’ve all done before. We’ve scrolled through Instagram and seen the cool travel pictures that people post, their fancy well put-together outfits, or them having a blast surrounded by all their friends at a fun party.
If you are dealing with a thyroid condition right now, you might find yourself comparing yourself to others who have a healthy thyroid or being envious of them.
This may make you feel like you don’t have it all together, you’re left behind, or you’ll never get to experience life like others do.
What we have to remember is that most of social media is a highlight reel. It does not show the full picture nor does it tell the whole story.
You might even be following some thyroid influencers who seem to have their entire health routine down and seem to not have to deal with side effects anymore.
It’s crucial to remember that everyone has bad days, even the thyroid influencer who has the “perfect” life now.
Some tangible ways to help stop comparing yourself to other people can be as simple as unfollowing people who trigger you to go down that path. So remember, practice self love and know that not everyday will be a bad day.
Surround Yourself with a Valuable Community
As much as some people want to believe they can – we can’t do everything on our own. If you are battling a thyroid condition, sometimes you need the encouragement and support from other people to get you through a difficult time or to help you stay on track.
Surrounding yourself with a valuable and supportive community is another form of self love. Studies have shown that positivity and happiness are contagious. So when building or forming new relationships it’s important to recognize whether this person is adding value to your life.
Are they self-aware? Are they just focused on their own needs? Do they put in effort to maintain a relationship with you? Build a community that values you just as much as you value them.
Sometimes, a community does not have to be in real life. In this age of technology, there are endless opportunities to find a digital online community such as Facebook groups and Reddit forums.
In 2022, ThyForLife app has launched a safe online community that is dedicated to people with thyroid conditions. The community will be available at your fingertips through the ThyForLife app where you can safely and anonymously ask questions, participate in daily forums, and join in on community polls and discussions.
Don’t Be Afraid to End Relationships
When you are in the process of trying to build a valuable community and support system, you might find that there are some people in your life right now that don’t fit the bill anymore.
If there is someone who is bringing toxicity into your life and is not trying to change – it might be time for you to step away from them.
Don’t be afraid to end that relationship. Even though it can be painful, it can also be liberating and important for your wellbeing.
Closet Clean Out & Decluttering
A closet clean out doesn’t just have to apply to your closet. This act of self care – like getting rid of clutter and tidying up your environment – can be extremely therapeutic and is proven to have significant benefits to your mental health.
You may have heard of the decluttering and tidying technique pioneered by Marie Kondo. In her book, The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up, Kondo outlines her methods of decluttering and organization called the KonMari method.
This method of self care is quite simple: hold the object of choice in your hand. If it sparks joy, keep it. If it does not, it’s time to get rid of it.
Tidying up can promote better physical health
A study shows that there is a direct correlation between the tidiness of homes and levels of physical activity. People with tidier homes tend to be more active – this includes the physical activity that comes with cleaning the home.
If you are dealing with a thyroid condition, low impact exercises are highly recommended. Instead of going for a walk, why not clean up your space and get some exercise at the same time?
Too much clutter can impair cognitive control
Research has found that hoarding can lead to the impairment of many cognitive functions. The study compared healthy people to those with a hoarding disorder (HD) and found that those who suffer with HD had dysfunctions in several aspects including learning and memory, organization, attention, planning, and problem-solving.
Less stuff can help you focus
Having more stuff in our visual fields is proven to lead to more distractions. The objects that surround us all compete for our attention including our smartphones, endless texts and emails, headphones, and tablets. Having less clutter in your environment can help you focus on the task at hand.
Key Takeaways
- Self love looks a little different for everyone
- Self love can help ease anxiety and other negative thoughts about oneself at bay
- Creating a self love routine is a great place to start. This can include:
- Taking a relaxing bath
- Doing an at-home facial or hair mask
- Decluttering and cleaning up your space
- Turning on your favorite music and dancing around
- By not constantly comparing yourself to others on social media is another act of self love
- Surround yourself with a valuable community and group of people that promote a healthy and happy environment and encourage you to love yourself
- ThyForLife offers a safe global online community built for people with thyroid conditions
- It can be difficult, but there are some toxic relationships that you may be in that need to end in order for you to put yourself first
- Decluttering and tidying your environment is a form of self love that has many benefits:
- It can promote a better physical health
- Too much clutter can impair cognitive controls like: problem solving, memory, planning, and organizing
- Less clutter helps you focus
It can be extremely easy to focus on the negative aspects of your body and yourself, especially when you’re facing a thyroid condition. Instead, try to think about how far you have come and all the obstacles that you’ve already endured. And remember, self love does not happen overnight, it takes practice.
Community and fostering a positive environment is something that ThyForLife strives to do each and every day. If you are looking for a safe space to connect with like-minded people, download the ThyForLife app today to be the first to know when our News & Community feature is LIVE!
The ThyForLife News & Community section will allow you to safely ask and answer questions anonymously and participate in our private community forum. It will be the only online community built specifically for people with thyroid conditions.
There are a variety of conversations that you can join including: mental health, physical exercise, diet & recipes, lifestyle, pregnancy, specific thyroid problems, self love, and more!
At ThyForLife, we do our utmost to provide accurate information. If you require more detailed information regarding medical terms, conditions, and practices please consult your healthcare professional. Always listen to the advice of your healthcare provider.
