Michelle Turpin

You look capable, so people assume you are fine. You keep going, so people assume it is managable. You get things done, so even you start believing this must just be who you are. Being good at coping does not always mean you are ok. Sometimes it simply means you have become very skilled at overriding yourself and your needs.

Self-love isn’t pretending you feel confident.  It isn’t forcing yourself to “think positive”. And it definitely isn’t reserved for people who already like what they see in the mirror. Self-love is the art of deeply loving all aspects of yourself — including the parts you’ve been criticising for years. It's self-compassion in action. It’s building self-worth through truth, not perfection. It starts with getting honest about the story you're telling yourself.

It’s the first week of January. The tree is either still up looking tragic, or it’s come down and now your living room feels like it’s missing a wall. And now… you’re back. Back to work. Back to school runs. Back to emails that apparently bred over Christmas. Back to routines, alarms, packed lunches, deadlines, meetings, and that slightly offended feeling your body has when you try to put on “proper trousers” again. Meanwhile, social media is still banging on about New Year resolutions like...