As a child, I had a hard time standing up for myself. Whether with my siblings, classmates or parents, expressing an idea or opinion that may have been different than others was difficult. Like most kids, I bit my tongue and remained silent. That silence grew as I moved onto adolescence and turned into an unhealthy need to please people and not rock the boat with my own needs, thoughts and conflicts.

Childhood is where most of our unhealthy habits of neglecting our need for self-reassurance, self-gratification and self-care are initially created. As children, many of us had a hard time standing up for ourselves. And when we did, sometimes our opinions weren’t always validated, and sometimes the risks were great. Though archaic by most standards, the notion that children should be seen and not heard still runs through our collective psyches.

It’s time to break that cycle by focusing on a new declaration of self love. Declaring your love for yourself is a great way to remind others that you hold yourself at a certain level of esteem and that you value yourself and the worth you embody.

Taking the time do something for yourself by yourself speaks and not apologizing for it is empowering and can be the first step to breaking engrained habits of putting yourself last.