Be Your Own Valentine
You, yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection. ~Buddha
Valentine’s Day puts a lot of pressure on us to be in love and to demonstrate it with Valentine’s gifts and big romantic gestures. The holiday puts the emphasis on love for your significant other above everything else, but did you ever think that, YOU are actually the most significant person in your life? So why not make this day solely about loving and taking care of yourself ? After all, they say you can’t love someone else until your truly love yourself. So without further ado, here’s our guide for how to love yourself on Valentine’s Day.
In today’s world, self-love and self-care are often considered taboo. We think we are acting selfish when we spend time on spoiling ourselves. This feeling has been embedded in our subconscious since childhood. We know that self-care has to be earned, but we often forget that it is essential to our health. Just like a healthy diet and physical activity ensure a long life, so does loving yourself from the inside out. In fact, that is the magic answer to achieving optimum wellness. In honor of Valentine’s Day, the holiday of love, here are 8 important steps to cultivate the love within:
Practice Self-Acceptance
Learning to accept yourself for who you are is the most important step to self-love. Stop comparing yourself, you are perfectly imperfect! Fall in love with yourself all over again and never criticize. Love your strengths and let them shine. A simple exercise to practice self-acceptance is to start your day with looking in the mirror and saying “I love you unconditionally” and then acknowledge something positive about yourself. Starting your day with a positive affirmation truly makes a difference. Focusing on the positive moments in your day will transform your mindset over time.
Be Grateful
The benefits of practicing gratitude are nearly endless. People who regularly reflect upon the things they’re thankful for experience more positive emotions, express more compassion and kindness, and have a better overall health.
The best way to experience the benefits of gratitude is to acknowledge new things you’re grateful for every day. Make sure to cultivate an appreciation for your own strengths and gifts. Express gratitude for the person that you are, for being healthy and capable of making a difference in your life. With practicing gratitude you’re helping to shift the negative inner dialogue and focus on the positive side of things ultimately becoming a happier person.
Sending yourself a Valentine’s gift is totally acceptable! Buy that new dress, sign up for a subscription box, indulge in a spa day. You send gifts to show appreciation to friends, and that train of thought totally applies to yourself.
Recharge, Reset, Go
We dedicate our lives to our career, taking care of children or dear ones, yet so many of us have really hard time taking time for themselves. Stop feeling guilty about having some “me time” because you deserve it! Moreover, you really need it, and there’s no better way to reset than these precious few hours alone with yourself. Either you spend it in meditation, practicing yoga, taking a long walk outside or simply going to a dinner all by yourself. This ritual is extremely important not only for your own well-being but for those around you as well. If you run yourself into the ground, what good will you be to others? Remember, you need to put your oxygen mask on first to be able to help the person next to you!
Your Body Is Your Temple
Taking care of your body is a significant part of cultivating self-love. It’s important to replenish your body with healthy food and demonstrate the respect that you have for the amazing temple your soul inhabits by providing the high-quality nutrients it needs to thrive. You are what you eat, after all.
Sports and regular physical activity is another important loving gesture along with healthy diet. Some other simple self-care techniques for showing the body the love it needs (and deserves!) can be taking a relaxing bath, getting a massage, facial or giving the body all the sleep it wants.
A different approach to practicing self-love (especially around Valentine ’s Day) is surprising yourself with a nice pampering gift. Regardless if you have a Valentine or not, it’s never a bad idea to spoil yourself with a spa gift basket or aromatherapy candle set. Fragrant essential oils will contribute to the relaxing experience in the comfort of your own home, help you unwind and concentrate on your inner self. Instead of waiting for someone else to give your flowers and chocolate, send them to yourself!
Declutter
Our surroundings often reflect our inner emotional state. Living or working in chaos can deeply affect the way you feel and create a chaos within. An open, organized space on the other hand can be uplifting and relaxing. It doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to be OCD about cleaning your space, but taking a little time to put everything in order can make a big difference.
Getting rid of some old stuff you never use and decorating the room with some fresh flowers can be quite refreshing. Think of it as getting rid of the old to make room for the new, new more self-aware, self-accepting and self-loving YOU!
Nurture Your Dreams
Our dreams are the big part of who we are. That’s why it’s vital not only to dream big but also to know how to make those dreams come true. One of the most powerful things we can do for ourselves is to make a conscious effort to nurture our goals and dreams. After all, isn’t the nurturing care what makes everything grow?
The most important food for your dreams is love. Treat your dreams like your most precious creations. Hold them in a very special place in your mind and continue to believe in them no matter how outrageous they might seem. Because if you don’t believe in them, who will? Dreams and goals must be fed with positive thoughts every day. When we focus our minds on what we really want and fill ourselves with positive affirmations and thoughts it helps us to reach inner peace, create a stronger sense of self-love, increase abundance and prosperity, attract great opportunities and ultimately achieve our dreams.
Tech Detox
Between phones, tablets, computers and TVs, our minds are constantly overstimulated. All this excessive screen time distracts us from reality, our thoughts and feelings, it distracts us from OURSELVES. This is exactly why it’s so important to get in touch with yourself by taking some tech time out.
Start simply by not using any gadgets one hour before you go to bed and one hour after you wake up. This means no to text messages, no Instagram, and no emails. It might be hard at first but you’ll immediately feel the difference. All of a sudden you’ll have time for that book you’ve wanted to read since college, meditate or simply go through the day in your head and practice gratitude.
Stop checking your phone first thing in the morning and start your day on your own record. Practice mindfulness by writing in a journal. Make it a morning ritual instead of scrolling through Facebook feed while still in bed. Use the journal for planning your day, sharing your thoughts, feelings and setting life goals. If you have nothing at all to say you can always try making a small doodle. Drawing and coloring (even stick figures) calms the mind and inspires creativity in other areas.
Don’t Find Excuses to Feel Happy
You don’t need an excuse to feel happy, it’s your right, use it! Do things just because you want to. Have fun and cultivate joy. When things don’t go as planned and shake your piece of mind or you need a little pick me up don’t wait for somebody or something to change the situation. Take responsibility in your own hands and do something that will make you happy right here right now. Whether it’s a bouquet of your favorite flowers, some gourmet chocolate or a bottle of wine (yep, whatever works) feel free to spoil yourself without feeling guilty. Remember, self-acceptance is an important step to cultivating self-love!
With Valentine’s Day approaching, make it about more than just demonstrating your love for that someone special in your life. Look at it as an opportunity to celebrate your precious self, cultivate the love within and grow spiritually. Because, according to Buddha “You, yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.”
Who’s YOUR Valentine?
- Spread the love with these romantic Valentine’s gift ideas.
- Keep on reading to find out how to Set the Mood with Aphrodisiacs for Valentine’s Day.
- Click your favorite button below to share this blog with someone who need some extra loving.
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