Self-Love Stories: Sophia J.

Meet Sophia! She is a mom, wellness professional, fun-loving person, and an advocate for all things self-care. In today’s post, she talks about why self-love is important, offers some helpful ideas to get started, and shares how she implements self-care into her life. Make sure to check out our conversation on Instagram here!

Tell us about yourself.

I am the founder of Happy Looks Beautiful, which helps ambitious women to navigate their self-care needs for the season they are in, so they can be more resilient, happier and accomplish what matters most. We offer support, inspiration and education in Wellness.

Fun Facts:
⭐I’m a professional giggler.
⭐I dance more than is legally aloud.
⭐I’m in love with accents – I love challenging myself to try and say words or phrases with a correct accent pronunciation.

Describe an area of your life where you felt less confident and how you overcame it.

Juggling motherhood and work. I overcame it by taking better care of myself. I learned that self-care was my Superpower! It started 9 years ago, I was doing it all and burnt out, but hadn’t even realized that I was neglecting myself because I was still functioning and taking care of everything and everyone. When my mum bought me a sewing book for my birthday, I threw myself into it.  Something switched. I was being creative, I was being me.

I’d discovered that self-care wasn’t only about making time to do things that nourished me, but it was really about ‘Reconnecting with myself’. It was a journey of discovery and there were a few bumps along the way, but the most valuable lesson wasn’t what I learned but what I had to unlearn. My self-care was about behavioral change, beliefs on a subconscious level and identity. That’s what made self-care so difficult. So I wanted things to change, not just for me, but for all the women I would speak to. I wanted us all to make healthier choices, have bolder voices, advocate for ourselves and make ourselves a priority, so that everyone wins.

Why is self-love important, and how do you practice it in your life today?

Self-love is a form of self-acceptance and it’s essential to keep you centered and have a balanced sense of self. It’s like a tank that needs regular topping up – the fuller the tank, the stronger you’ll be in stormy weather.

I practice it in many different ways. I am a ‘Sensory Self-carer’ (there are 3 different styles altogether. Inner Energy, the second, and Active, the third. I help women to discover which one they are in The HLB Quiz and build this into their Self Care Plan). This means I get rejuvenated from activities that involve my senses, like a tactile massage and the aroma of candles. But it’s mostly about the inner work and caring for my mind, my heart, my energy and my peace. I enjoy mediation a lot and journaling is also great for me. Along with that, I like vocal healing – using my voice, sometimes quite loudly, lol.

What advice would you give someone who is struggling to love who they are?

If someone is struggling, I would offer two ideas:

Step 1) Be gentle with yourself first and foremost. Too often we put pressure on ourselves to feel a certain way and this can take time. So self-acceptance often comes before love.

Step 2) Create a ‘Love Jar’. For one week, write down 3 things you love about yourself every day. Make them really small things to begin with, like “I love the way I write the letter P” or “I love my ability to smile at my neighbors”. It might seem silly at first but it’s getting you warmed up and practiced in noticing the things that are loveable about you. Then you can move on to other stuff. At the end of day 7, go through all the things in the jar and stick them somewhere you can see them!

How does the work you do now help build confidence in others?

I help women build confidence by giving them a space to prioritize themselves. Confidence is developed as we take action. It can only be experienced. I learned that from educating for over 20 years, and I help women to take full action in the areas of their life that matter most. They do that by tapping in to their Superpower ‘Self-Care’ and everything starts to align from there. Confidence builds when we start to understand who we are.

Do you have a helpful product or service we can check out?

Yes! I have worked with individuals and companies, so to make what I do even more accessible I have created a program to help develop key self-care skills. I designed it so that women can feel more confident, better equipped, and more self-assured in their wellbeing.

The launch date will be announced soon, and the best way to keep up to date is to join our mailing list and follow us on Instagram. To join the mailing and get your free copy of our e-book, ‘The Nourish & Flourish Guide’, click here and you are in!

Where can we keep up with you online?

Visit our website here. You can also follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. We also have a podcast! Search for “Happy Looks Beautiful” on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.