Filipinos are truly some of the most selfless people around.

Every day, parents, breadwinners, and older siblings sacrifice to provide for the family. And this is often done without a second’s thought to their own well-being.

So this post is dedicated to all Filipino breadwinners who prove their love to their families day in and day out. Here we look at some ways folks can show love…this time not for others, but for themselves.

We list 8 practical ways people can recharge, rejuvenate, and live full and fulfilling lives despite personal struggles and challenges.

Let’s go!

#1 Daily Affirmations & Gratitude

Loving yourself starts with the way you talk to yourself.

So many folks are their own harshest critics and they wonder why they have so many lousy days. They belittle their own gifts, and in their drive to better their family, they forget to appreciate the things they’ve already accomplished.

So start your day with your favorite positive affirmations and remind yourself of the wonderful person that you are. Love yourself by focusing on your positive traits and your potential.

Examples of Affirmations:

• “I believe in my abilities and trust in my capacity to succeed.”

• “I am resilient, and I can handle whatever comes my way.”

• “I trust myself to make the right decisions.”

• “I choose to see the good in every situation.”

• “I am at peace with where I am, and I am excited about where I am going.”

Also, remember the things you’re grateful for. These shift your mindset and promote an optimistic opening salvo to your day.

Examples of things to be grateful for:

• Your safe and comfortable home.

• Your good physical health and well-being.

• The job that brings you a sense of purpose.

• Those cherished memories with loved ones.

• The future and all the wonderful things it can bring.

Thinking along these lines will change the trajectory of your life.

#2 Break Your Routines

Routines are good in that they provide a sense of structure and familiarity to your day. But they can quickly become so monotonous to the point of being oppressive. They can limit your personal growth and creativity.

So another way of loving is freeing yourself from your daily routines.

Switching up your routines can be a transformative act of self-love, liberating you from the “box” you’re in.

Doing the unexpected and unplanned from time to time doesn’t even cost extra. But these simple deviations can be the most exhilarating of things!

Examples:

• Swap your regular breakfast for something entirely different.

• Take a different route to work or use alternative modes of transportation.

• Eat lunch at a new location, or a cuisine you’ve never had before.

• Go out or attend a social event on a weekday.

• Do your job in a “different” way.

Breaking routines may not be the first thing to come to mind when talking about “self-love,” but they can be so fattening your soul.  

#3 Digital Detox

Oftentimes, we use social media to help us de-stress. You know the drill: Find some quiet corner in the house and start scrolling through the recommendations. (TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook always seem to know what interests us.)

You’ll get a laugh, learn something interesting, or see what your friends have been up to.

Ironically, studies have shown that what people are using to de-stress can heighten stress levels.  

So instead of scrolling through endless videos and images, you intentionally take a break from them.

Doing so is not only good for your mental health and boosts your productivity, but it also forces you to be more creative and mindful of your downtime. Instead of passively droning through hours of TikTok, you become more intentional with your time.

(For example, a forgotten hobby might come to light.)

So turn off those notifications and start loving yourself by knowing yourself.   

#4 Do nature

There’s something about nature that’s so beneficial to our mental health and well-being. So commune with it every chance you get.

This doesn’t mean spending an entire weekend on some remote mountain, thinking about the mysteries of life. It can be as simple as spending 30 minutes in your garden and noticing that your Gumamela flowers are larger this year.

It can be a barefoot waddle in that tiny patch of green in your garden or a stroll around your village, admiring the plants and trees your neighbors are growing.    

If you look, you don’t have to go far to find nature—a water feature, some greenery, even animals going about life.

Do pets. They give love unconditionally. (Dogs, anyone?) 

 #5 Learn Something New

Loving yourself means taking care of that expansive part of you that wants to try new things and become better.

Often, in the hurries and worries of every day, personal growth gets neglected. So people feel stunted.

Love yourself by giving priority to personal development. It doesn’t mean that you spend loads of money to enroll in a full-blown course or be totally committed to learning. Oftentimes, it simply means providing opportunities for yourself to dabble with novel things in novel ways.

Here are some things you might want to try:

• a new hobby or craft

• a new language

• a musical instrument

• new recipes

• dance classes

• travel to new places

• read new genres

Your imagination is the limit.   

Dipping your toes into novel things can widen your horizon and deepen your experience.

#6 Set Boundaries

Loving yourself is giving yourself priority.

Sometimes responsibilities and expectations become too much of a burden. You have to learn how to set boundaries, if for no other reason than to avoid getting overwhelmed by them.

Setting boundaries is a broad topic and can apply to different areas of life.

At work, you need to establish clear work hours to delineate time for the family and yourself.

At home, you need to learn how to set limits on the things you do for the family or what other people can expect of you.

You need to learn to say “No.”

Socially, you need to say no to invitations or activities that have very little value-add to your life. You need to avoid people who drain your morale and energy.  

Setting boundaries sharpens your priorities and solidifies your values.  

#7 Catch up with Friends

Loving yourself is knowing that you are a social being and as such need to cultivate positive and fulfilling connections with others. 

You not only run away from people and situations that drain you, but its corollary is that you run towards those who support, sustain, and strengthen you.

Love yourself by surrounding yourself with people who bring joy and happiness to your life, where there is a mutual exchange of support and understanding.

And for you to have these kinds of relationships, you have to cultivate them intentionally. Meaning, you spend time and effort in these kinds of bonds.

In short, you need to invest in good people. (It will be worth it!)

 #8 Treat Yourself: Dasurv Mo!

Speaking of investment, this is the part of the list where there’s an obvious monetary expense. But you do need to treat yourself from time to time.

For the sake of your mental health, you cannot keep on delaying your rewards indefinitely. Celebrate your little wins and do not wait for any significant accomplishment before treating yourself.

This comes in many forms, and it will be highly personal, but claim your right to indulge in activities, objects, and experiences that give you a feeling of fulfillment. It can be as simple as a nap or a trip of a lifetime, but the most important thing is that you do it.

You’ve been serving others all the time, so now and then, pamper yourself. Your family, who loves you, will want you to.

Common ways to treat yourself include:

• a special meal at a good restaurant

• a trip you’ve been wanting to take

• a spa day

• a product you’ve been stalking online for months

• a new experience or hobby you’ve been thinking about

Whatever it is, the focus is YOU and what tickles your fancy—not other people. Because it is okay to treat yourself.

Loving yourself is not a luxury. It’s an absolute necessity for a fulfilling and balanced life. Yes, as Filipinos, it’s natural to prioritize the well-being of others, especially if you’re a parent or a breadwinner. But it’s equally crucial to extend that same care and kindness to you.

For it is in loving yourself that you’re able to share yourself with others.

BloodWorks Lab is your partner in mental health and physical well-being. Besides being your one-stop shop for all your blood test needs, BloodWorks offers different checkup packages for you and your family.  

As a top medical testing facility, BloodWorks was the first in the country to introduce the Anti Acetylcholine Receptor (lgG) Antibody Test and the Anti N-Methyl-D-Aspartate Receptor (Anti NMDA Receptor) Antibody Test.

Book your appointment today.

Our branches are in Alabang, Katipunan, and Cebu.