Valentine’s Day can definitely take a toll on all of us, those who are happily committed and those who aren’t. From frantically running around and making sure that you have everything in place for your special loved one, to huddling under a comforter with your favorite comfort food and forgetting the world outside even exists, this day isn’t always easy. One thing that can improve this day is self love.
Even the rest of the year, our schedules are super packed with work, family and responsibilities that sometimes we forget to stop and smell the roses – sometimes figuratively, sometimes literally. In all the hustle and bustle, we tend to forget to take care of the most important thing in our lives – ourselves.
The popular saying, ‘we are our own worst critic’ is popular for a reason. It is something that we do on a daily basis and sometimes unconsciously. We forget to take care of our own needs and often criticize ourselves and in a way that is more harsher than you would say to a friend. We tend to look at our own flaws very closely, forgetting that the rest of the world won’t even consider them as a flaw.
We often overlook our own wants and needs, which can be very harmful in the long run. So, sometimes it’s important to take a step back from the world and focus on oneself – to be kind to our own selves and promote self-love.
Not only should we do it because its better but self-love also helps reduce depression, stress, and body dissatisfaction, and promotes happiness, self-confidence and even improves immune function.
If you are like us and don’t really know where to start, here is a quick list of Self Love things that you can do to start falling in love with yourself.
Find the Best Kind of Love, Self Love!
Take Yourself on a Date
We aren’t saying that you need to book yourself a fancy reservation or even go all out, you can if you wish to, but you don’t have to! It can simply be a coffee date, or even go for movie all by yourself. If you are bit more adventurous, then you can even take yourself on a hike or a long drive. This is one of the hardest things that we can do, but it is definitely an important step. For a lot of people, going out by themselves can be crippling, but once you start spending time with yourself, you’ll learn more about yourself. The first few dates might be uncomfortable, but after a while, you’ll love spending time alone and being in your own space.
Take a Solo Shopping Spree
Again this doesn’t mean that you need to go all out, but it is important to trust your own judgements and decisions. Shopping is extremely therapeutic for a lot of people, so taking the time to go out and spending the day buying yourself items that you like is a great way to show yourself some love. Don’t go overboard on the spending, but don’t cut yourself short either, learn to spend some time and money on yourself.
Write Yourself Positive Notes
We are often the hardest on ourselves, so why not take the time to talk about our positives as well. What are some of the things you would tell your best friend, now what if you could tell that to yourself?! Pick one thing you like about yourself and write a small note to yourself. It doesn’t have to be a note, you can also keep a journal. Each day, write one positive thing that happened in the day, something that you did, something that happened to you, something you liked about yourself. Maybe you had a good hair day, or you helped someone, every little thing counts, and you should definitely mark those.
Take a Break & Don’t Feel Guilty
When was the last time you took a break from your schedule and did nothing, and didn’t feel at all guilty about it?! When was the last time you simply just sat in front of the TV all day or read a book, or just spend the entire day in bed? Well, these days are important – they help you charge and you should definitely take them as you get them. Some days you need a break and you should not feel guilty about taking them. So, spend the day as you want – have a coffee, don’t get out of bed, watch TV, play video games, but just do something that makes you happy.
Exercise
You don’t suddenly have to become a #fitnessfreak or a #gymlover or even do the traditional form of exercise, all you need is one activity, any activity to get you moving. It can be dance, aerobics, Zumba, Kickboxing or even curling. It just must be one activity that helps you destress or unwind. Activities that get your blood flowing have proven to have a more positive effect on the mind as well as the body.
Surround Yourself with Positivity
It’s important to surround yourself with positive people, ideas and things, while cutting out the negativity in your life. If there are people who constantly find the worst in you, it’s time to walk away from such people. If there are things that aren’t making you happy, it’s time to make a change. Self-love only works if you aren’t constantly fighting the negativity in your life, so you should definitely look to make more positive changes.
It’s easier to love someone else than to love ourselves, and this is why self-love becomes even more important. We often tend to give our love away, leaving little to nothing for us, but always remember that love isn’t limited. Just because you have a lot of love to give, doesn’t mean that you can’t still have love leftover for yourself.
So, it’s time to churn up some of that love for yourself, and make yourself happy!
