Self-love isn’t a destination. It’s the journey of a lifetime, an undertaking to love yourself for who you are and to be kind to yourself along the way.

It’s not an easy thing to achieve: the path to self-love can traverse several obstacles and hurdles. The only thing that matters, though, is that you keep trying. Keep practicing self-love. Remind yourself that you are worthy, that you are enough. Be sure to tell yourself this every single day. 

If you need help on this journey you might want to try a self-love mantra. Repeating a few words or phrases every day is how these six remarkable women, from Lizzo to Jameela Jamil, strengthen and reinforce their self-love. 

It’s a simple trick, but it’s a trick that works. Why not try and include one of their mantras into your own self-love practice? 

Self-love quotes: Lizzo

The Grammy-winning artist often incorporates self-love mantras into her performances and on her social media feeds. Lizzo has uttered them onstage at Glastonbury and Coachella, and she has shared them in the captions of her Instagram posts.

Like this powerful mantra, which she repeated in one of her Instagram stories: “I’m blessed, and I want you to know that you’re blessed. I want you to know that you woke up this morning, and that’s a blessing, I want you to know the sun is shining somewhere, that’s a blessing, and even if it’s raining, it’s cleansing you – it’s a blessing. I want you to know that whatever you’re going through, if it doesn’t feel good, that you will feel good again, and you have whatever it takes to feel good again.”

“You are capable,” she continued. “You deserve to feel good as hell, and you deserve to find that. And as proud as you are of me, I’m proud of you. I’m really proud of you – because life comes at you fast, and sometimes it can be so hard, but if I can make it, I know you can make it. We can make it together.”

Self-love quotes: Fearne Cotton

The broadcaster has spent much of her adult life living with anxiety and, at times, debilitating panic attacks. So much so that Fearne Cotton often uses mantras to remind herself of how valued she is and to help lessen the symptoms of her panic attacks.

Cotton’s mantra is thus: “I love and approve of myself. I rejoice in who I am, and it’s OK to express myself. I am enough.” 

For those sceptical about the medical benefits of mantras, there is research reported by Medical News Today that has shown that repeating mantras can lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol and increase heart rate variability, which is your body’s physiological ability to deal with stressful situations. 

Self-love quotes: Jameela Jamil

Whether it’s through her I Weigh platform, which challenges followers to measure their worth in increments that have nothing to do with the kilograms of scales, or whether it’s through her fearless social media presence, Jameela Jamil is a tireless advocate for self-love.

For the actor and activist, practicing self-love is a way to combat the dangerous, insidious nature of diet culture and body-shaming. To that end, she repeats the following mantra: “Treat yourself like you’d treat your best friend … Be your own best friend.” 

Self-love quotes: Laura Dern

The Oscar-nominated star of Little Women and Marriage Story has a simple self-love rule: no more self-deprecation.

“The greatest consideration to me might be how we speak to ourselves about ourselves every day,” Laura Dern has said. “I try to be organically minded, farm to table, consider the food I eat, consider the food my children eat, not have chemicals in the home, not have wall-to-wall carpeting, not use lead-based products.

“Yet, we all very casually will put ourselves down 20, 30 times a day,” she continued. “So, if we’re considering our health and the health of our children, the one thing I need to work on more is how I honour the person I’m privileged to be, the voice I’m privileged to have, the health I’m privileged to hold, the children I’m privileged to parent. 

“It’s really easy to be self-deprecating all day long, but it’s getting a little boring!”

Self-love quotes: Laverne Cox

The trans actor and star of Orange Is The New Black has always been a powerful voice for the trans community and for people of colour. Speaking at an event in 2015, Laverne Cox spoke openly about the mantra that she repeated to herself to remind herself of her beauty and power as a trans woman.

“Years ago, at the beginning of my transition, I would walk down the street and I would hear people yell, ‘That’s a man’, and I would be devastated,” she said. “It took me years to internalise that someone could look at me and tell that I am transgender. That is not only OK, that is beautiful. 

“Trans is beautiful. All the things that make me uniquely and beautifully trans, my big hands, my big feet, my wide shoulders, my deep voice, are beautiful.” 

Self-love quotes: Bryce Dallas Howard

This actor and director’s self-love mantra is simple, but effective.

“If I have a negative thought that is about myself or I feel embarrassed about something or I feel ashamed about something, instantly, whatever it is, I will say, ‘I love you’,” Bryce Dallas Howard has said.

She will repeat these words whenever she needs to throughout the day, whenever she feels a negative thought about herself or even just when she feels that she needs a boost. “The way I make time for myself is the way I make time for anything,” she added. “You schedule it.”

philosophy is the wellbeing beauty brand inspiring you to look, live and feel your best, and is the official partner of Stylist’s Remarkable Women Awards 2020.

Images: Getty