Practice Self Love This Valentine’s Day

Practice Self Love This Valentine’s Day

When we think about Valentine’s Day, most of us would think about couples, romantic dates, flowers, chocolate… you know the rest. All those things are wonderful, but there is something we need to remember that we all often forget- the importance of loving yourself. Valentine’s Day might typically be a time to celebrate your love with your partner, but it can also be a day to recognize your love for your friends, family and most importantly, YOU! After all, we can’t properly love someone if we can’t love ourselves. So, I encourage you to practice a little self-love this Valentine’s Day. Here are a few ways you can do that.

• Catch up on your sleep

Recharge your batteries and reset before next week begins. So many of us don’t get enough sleep, and it’s easy to use the weekend to do anything but rest. Take this one weekend to get some good shuteye and you won’t regret it. It will improve your stress, energy, productivity and mood. Ensuring you are getting ample sleep is one of the most important ways to show up for yourself.

• Spend time outside

It is a known fact that spending time outside each day is incredibly beneficial for our physical and mental health. Now, realistically, not all of us have time to bask in the sun every day, even if we would love to. The weekend is a good opportunity to make that happen. Go for a walk, sit in the park and read a book, catch up with a friend over coffee outside. There are many ways to enjoy the outdoors and reap the benefits from that sunshine.

• Tidy your space

A clean space is a clear mind. When our environment is cluttered, it is almost impossible to be calm, collected and focused. Set aside time to clean your space and get things in order. You will enjoy your downtime so much more if you don’t have a list of chores in the back of your mind. Put on some music and get to work! Before you know it, your home will be immaculate and you can sit down, put on a movie and enjoy your space.

• Buy yourself some flowers

Once that house is clean, there is nothing better than fresh flowers on the table. It livens up your space, bringing a freshness that wasn’t there before. And there is absolutely no shame in buying yourself some stunning roses this weekend. Pro tip: trim the stems every few days to keep your flowers fresher, longer!

• Cook or purchase your favorite meal

There’s nothing wrong with spoiling yourself occasionally. Bust out the pots and pans and whip up something you love but don’t cook often. Not a chef? Takeout it is! What is your favorite local restaurant to get a warm meal from? If you want to take it up another notch, go ahead and take yourself out to dinner!

• Journal

Writing can be deeply therapeutic. If you are feeling stressed or have something weighing on you, putting it all on paper is a great way to clear your mind. Sometimes there is so much going on up there and nowhere for the stress to go, but if you write it all down then it has a new home, one outside of your brain. Get all your thoughts out so you can revisit them at the right time.

• Reach out to a loved one

There seems to be so little time in the day. They all race by and before we know it, it’s the end of another week. The weekend is the perfect time to reach out to your friends and family who you might not see or talk to as often as you’d like. Set up a time to talk to your loved ones. Catch up on each other’s lives, laugh, reminisce.

• Yoga

You don’t have to be good at it- but give it a try! Yoga helps create relaxation, calmness and a good mood. Not to mention the physical benefits- flexibility, strength and energy. You can do it at home if you’re not comfortable in a class. There are thousands of videos online that will coach you through it. Practice your deep breathing and you might find that you really enjoy incorporating yoga into your routine.

• Listen to music

Listening to music can be a stress reducer and help improve your mood. It can also help you when you are going through a tough time. Sometimes music is able to pinpoint exactly how you feel when you couldn’t identify it yourself. Music can be extremely therapeutic. Listen to it while you read, or when you go for a walk. Jam out while you cook and clean. Music elevates any situation!

• Bake

Whip up some goodies for your neighbors, friends, family and yourself! Baking can be a lot of fun, and there is nothing better than homemade treats fresh from the oven. Not to mention the aroma that will fill your home afterword! Keep it simple with store bought cookie dough or cake mix or get fancy and find a from-scratch recipe online!

There are a lot of ways we can care for ourselves, many of which we don’t do very often. It is easy to let everything else in life come first, whether that is other people, jobs, or to-do’s. We have to remember that in order to be our best selves in relationships and at work, we have to put ourselves first! So let this be your reminder to practice some self-love this Valentine's Day.