Self-love is about knowing and honoring your needs, wants and wishes. It’s about understanding your inner world, including your thoughts and feelings. It’s about being kind and compassionate with yourself. Self-love is a spirit you carry, and apply to everything in your life. It is a daily practice consisting of nourishing and joyful activities. Here are eight ideas for practicing self-love in the New Year.

Margarita Tartakovsky, MS, is an associate editor at Psych Central and authors the body image blog Weightless. She writes about everything from anxiety and ADHD to creativity and couples to mindfulness and stress.