Nurturing Self-Love and Acceptance: A Lesson From Being Unwell

Hey friends,

I’ve been off work recently, battling whooping cough and pneumonia, and let me tell you, it hasn’t been fun. Being unwell is exhausting—not just physically, but emotionally, too. One of the hardest parts hasn’t just been feeling sick, but feeling stressed about not being at work, about others having to pick up the slack, and about whether I’m doing enough.

If you know me, you know I struggle with sitting still. I like to keep moving, doing, and contributing. But this experience has forced me to pause and reflect—really reflect—on what it means to nurture self-love and acceptance, especially during times when we feel like we’re not at our best.

The Truth About Self-Love

Here’s the thing: self-love isn’t about loving yourself only when you’re doing well or ticking all the boxes. It’s about loving yourself even when you’re struggling, even when you feel like you’re letting others down, and even when you’re in your pajamas for the third day straight, sipping soup and coughing like you’ve been chain-smoking for years.

Self-love means acknowledging that your worth isn’t tied to how much you’re doing, how productive you are, or how others perceive you. It’s about recognising that you are enough—right here, right now—no matter what.

Accepting Help and Letting Go of Guilt

One of the biggest challenges I’ve faced during this time is accepting help without guilt. I kept worrying about burdening others at work, at home, or anywhere else. But here’s what I’ve learned: allowing others to step in when we can’t is not a sign of weakness. It’s a reminder that we’re human. And just as we’d support others when they need it, they’re happy to support us, too.

Sometimes, self-love means letting go of the guilt and accepting kindness from others. It means reminding yourself that you’re not a burden—you’re a person doing their best, just like everyone else.

Finding Grace in Rest

This one has been hard. Slowing down and resting can feel counterproductive when there’s so much to do. But I’ve learned that pushing through when your body and mind are screaming for rest doesn’t make you stronger—it makes things worse. Resting, on the other hand, is a way of saying, “I value myself enough to take care of me.”

If you’re like me, you might need this reminder: Rest is not laziness. Rest is not failure. Rest is healing, and it’s one of the greatest acts of self-love you can give yourself.

Winding Up

Being sick has been tough, but it’s also taught me a valuable lesson: we all deserve love and kindness from ourselves, especially when life feels heavy. Whether you’re dealing with illness, stress, or just a tough day, I hope you’ll give yourself the grace to rest, reflect, and remember that you are enough—just as you are.

So today, let’s promise to be kinder to ourselves. Let’s let go of guilt, accept help when we need it, and remind ourselves that self-love isn’t a luxury—it’s essential. You’re doing great, even on the hard days, and that’s worth celebrating. 💛

Take care of yourselves, friends—you’re worth it.