This Valentine’s Day show love to the most important person in your life- you! Be your own Valentine with the help of these self-love and self-care tips.
Considering this post is Valentine’s day themed, you may get the idea that self-care involves spa days, fancy resorts and facials. While those things are totally a way of treating yourself, self-care is about so much more than that! Self care is about giving you and your body love and respect. It’s about getting back to the basics and being kind and gentle with YOU- and it’s not always easy! Here are some things to help guide you on your self-love journey.
Break free of judgment, body shame and negative self-talk. Our thoughts have a big effect on our feelings, our emotions, and how we treat others. Gearing our inner voice and emotional habits towards love, acceptance and happiness as best as we can makes a huge difference in our daily lives. With every negative thought, try your best to counter it with a positive one!
Accept your body and treat it with love. ‘Comparison is the thief of joy’ – Theodore Roosevelt. This is a good quote to keep in mind any time you find yourself comparing your life to someone else’s. It can be easy to fall into a lull of comparison, but the truth is that everyone has different experiences- and body types! Try to learn to accept your beautiful self just as you are, and the next time you find yourself comparing your body, your thoughts, or your daily routines to someone else’s- remember that everyone is fighting their own battle and no one is ever better than another. It also doesn’t hurt to take some extra time away from social media or TV and focus on your own surroundings and feelings, instead of flooding your brain with the experiences of others.
Respect your body and your mind! The media can often show us fairly unrealistic standards of beauty and happiness. Real beauty and happiness is what makes YOU happy and what makes YOU feel good. Try and keep in mind that healthy eating and healthy living does not equate with a low number on the scale. Give your body wholesome foods, healthy fats, and lean proteins. Feeling exhausted? It’s okay to skip that workout and veg-out on the couch. Feeling like you do need that spa day? Go get that spa day! It’s also important to keep our minds moving with positivity and growth. Go read that book that’s been in the back of your mind, or perhaps try painting, drawing, or puzzles! Whatever lights you up and brings you joy.
Remind yourself that you are in control of creating a healthier life for yourself one choice at a time. Please remember that you don’t have to participate in anything you don’t want to do. Your health and happiness is completely in your hands. A little bit of pressure doesn’t have to be a bad thing and can even be inspiring! But if you’re absolutely dreading your workout, or those brussels sprouts- then please, wave goodbye! There are other ways to keep healthy that don’t involve forcing yourself into doing things you loathe.
It’s okay to start small! It really is unrealistic to think that things can change completely overnight. Be sure to give yourself time and to practice patience and acceptance on your self-love journey. Try setting one goal per week, or per day if you’re feeling ambitious! Things can also change if they need to. If you start out with one goal per week and find that too overwhelming, then move it to one goal per two weeks! To start off on an even better foot, make your first couple goals easily attainable. Simple things such as ‘having a tea break in the afternoon’, or ‘take 10 deep breaths every morning’. They can be whatever you want or need to feel GOOD!
Commit to making yourself a priority. In the midst of a wild world, it can be really hard to remember to take care of you. Especially if you have a family. Remember that your feelings and emotions MATTER. Try and keep a ‘self-care mindset’ and keep track of what works for you and what you personally need to be your best self. It also helps to journal or log how you’re feeling and what you’re grateful for.
You ARE beautiful. Lastly- remind yourself that you are beautiful, you are worthy and you most certainly matter! This is the core of self-care; to remember that you do deserve that facemask, that hot bubble bath, those times to laugh with the ones you love. There are so many different ways you can practice self-love but you should always remember to keep YOUR best interests in mind.
