Oh no. It’s almost summer!

I know this might put me in the minority, but I’ve never been a huge fan of this time of year. I hate being sweaty. I feel like my makeup always melts off by the time I leave my apartment, and I’m usually stressed out about someone seeing my psoriasis.

I remember as a young girl being the last one to embrace wearing tank tops and spring dresses in school because I wanted to hide my skin for as long as possible. I was not one of those girls begging their moms to go shopping for swimwear.

Now that my psoriasis is in remission, I’ve truly learned to love my body, and I definitely don’t have the same level of anxiety when summer comes around. However, I’m still not a huge fan of baring my skin. And if you live with psoriasis too, I know you feel me on this one!

So how do we prepare for the change in seasons while still keeping our self-love intact? Like with any scenario in life, when you know there’s a chance for you to be hard on yourself, it’s time to increase your self-love practice.

Here are three ways to practice self-love during the summer!

1. Choose your crew wisely

This was one of those things that took me a long time to get the hang of. I’d always wanted to be in the “cool” group at school. But when I finally made it a priority to stick with the people who truly made me feel my best, everything got much easier.

So this summer, find the group of people in your life that you know want the best for you and will always make you feel GOOD. Then plan your summer fun with them! First of all, they’ll most likely already know about your psoriasis if that’s something you’re dealing with, which will make it so much easier to be yourself around them. And also, if they have your best interests at heart, it’ll be easier for you to treat yourself better.

2. Pick your outfit from a loving place

We’ve all had those days when nothing fits, our psoriasis is flaking everywhere, and we feel bummed because we can’t wear the clothes we really want to wear for fear of skin shaming. I can’t even count how many days like that I’ve had. Since I’ve been dealing with psoriasis for 26 years, there have been a lot!

But a few years ago, I realized that I could bring my self-love practice to my daily routine of getting dressed. So I want you to try it too!

Before you even step near your closet to grab the summer dress you hope looks good or pack a bag with your favorite swimwear, I want you to pause. Take three deep breathes with your eyes closed. And imagine how you want to feel in your clothes that day. Then pick your outfit from that place. Not from a frantic one.

Trust me, it works!

3. Take advantage of having more time

People often tell me that they don’t have time to add self-love to their daily routine. They can’t imagine adding one more thing to their already long to-do list. I honestly really get that!

But I also know that if you don’t take a stand for yourself, you’ll be totally missing out on a beautiful journey. So this summer, when the days are longer and the ability to chill is greater, I want you to make a conscious effort to add self-love into those moments.

For some of you, that might be adding five minutes of meditation a day. For others, it might be indulging in a beauty routine. And you might even want to add self-love to the way you’re eating or moving your body to feel healthier than ever before.

Whatever it is, know that you have time for it. Promise. And the summer is a great place to start!

The takeaway

I know that self-love can often feel like something intangible and confusing, but I promise that if you add these simple actions to your life, you’ll totally get the hang of it. You got this, I know you do. Wishing you the best summer ever!

Nitika Chopra is a beauty and lifestyle expert committed to spreading the power of self-care and the message of self-love. Living with psoriasis, she’s also the host of the “Naturally Beautiful” talk show. Connect with her on her website, Twitter, or Instagram.