The #LoveMe Challenge | Day 1 | Why I’m Doing #LoveMe

Over the past few months, I’ve hinted at a special, month-long blogging THINGY happening in February. Now that that month is finally here, it’s time for me to introduce the #LoveMe challenge!

What is the #LoveMe challenge? To put it briefly, #LoveMe is a challenge designed to help you learn to love yourself. In looking at others’ #LoveMe posts, I found that it seems most popular in two circles of blogging, mom bloggers and mental health bloggers. Well, I can’t relate to the first one, but over the past six months or so I’ve made an effort to be more open about my mental health issues on this blog. So I fit right in as a #LoveMe participant!

#LoveMe may be done on any form of social media, either through primarily writing or primarily pictures. I decided to turn each of the prompts into springboards for blog posts, since I love to write and am more active on WordPress than on just about any other site.

If you’re curious to see what I will be writing about this month, you can find the full list of prompts at the end of this post. Now, if you don’t mind, I’m going to answer the first one.

Why are you doing #LoveMe?

Because I don’t love myself. I’m sorry if hearing that is harsh or startling or too personal, but it’s true. I don’t love myself. Not really. And I’d like to change that.

Other people love me. They tell me so. They give me compliments and support me when I’m having a bad day and tell me how proud they are of all I’ve accomplished. And I find it very hard to believe them. I always feel like I don’t deserve their praise and encouragement. I often catch myself dismissing comments from professors, friends, and family members because I feel as though they should save their positive words for someone else, like as though those words can’t possibly apply to me.

Other people love me. I wish I could love myself.

I’m pretty hard on myself. It’s good that I realize that, though, isn’t it? I mean, at least I’ve recognized that I have a problem. And I want to fix it. And I think I can, although it will take a while and certainly won’t be solved by the end of this month.

I’m doing #LoveMe because I want to find reasons to genuinely appreciate myself and all that I do. All that I am capable of. Over the coming month I hope to find these reasons by taking a look at my plans, my hopes, my dreams. At rough patches in life that I got through even though I didn’t think I would. At friends that mean so, so much to me. At quotes I love. At little reminders that there is no need to hate myself this much.

There are a total of twenty-eight #LoveMe prompts, so I thought it was best to do this challenge in February. (I’ve been saving it for months!) Plus, people already heavily associate February with love because of Valentine’s Day, so I’m just changing things up a little.

I hope that #LoveMe will be good for my mental health. One of my New Year’s resolutions was to “be kinder and gentler to myself” and I’m determined not to give up on that. I’m trying to be a more positive person in 2017, you know?

That’s why I’m doing #Love Me.

Will you join me? Why are you doing #LoveMe?

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For both your reference and my own, here are all twenty-eight #LoveMe prompts:

1. Why are you doing #LoveMe?
2. A photo of you
3. A word that describes you
4. A person who loves you
5. A note to the past you
6. A note to the future you
7. One thing that’s just for you
8. Share a scar
9. Share something beautiful
10. Share a secret
11. Share a smile
12. Share a flaw
13. Share a quote
14. Share a fear you overcame
15. Something you have done right
16. Something you like about yourself 
17. Something that feeds your soul
18. Something that feeds your brain
19. Something you feel strongly about
20. Something you love to wear
21. Something you are proud of
22. What makes you unique?
23. What is your best feature?
24. What makes you happy?
25. What makes you laugh?
26. What makes you feel beautiful?
27. What have you accepted about yourself?
28. What have you learned from doing #LoveMe these past twenty-eight days?

P.S. I’m still not sure who originally created the #LoveMe Challenge. I’ve looked around, but can’t seem to find the answer. If anyone knows, could you let me know so I can credit them properly?