Self-Love and Valentine’s Day: How to Practice Self-Care During this Season
That feeling when it’s the season of love…
We’re officially in the Valentine’s Day season. Whether you celebrate by showing love to your friends or your partner, Valentine's Day celebrations are generally focused on expressing love towards others. So it's easy to overlook the most crucial relationship in our lives – the one with ourselves. As a regular person on a constant journey of self-care, the love that I have for myself is an important part of my self-care goals and habits. This blog post is a heartfelt exploration of various ways to practice self-love during the Valentine's Day season. Let’s talk about it!
Quick side note: this post may contain affiliate links, which means I may earn a commission if you make a purchase. If you have any questions, please feel free to visit this page.
My Journey in Self-Love: A Personal Reflection
Before we dive into the different ways to practice self-love during this season, I want to share a bit about my own journey.
WHEW!
Journey is truly an understatement. My journey of self-love has been nothing short of a rollercoaster ride filled with highs and lows. I used to be on this constant chase of achieving self-love as if it were a one-time award that you would win after a race. It wasn't until I embraced the idea that self-love is a practice, not a destination, that I began to see significant changes in my life.
I realized in the beginning of my self-care journey in 2020 that prioritizing my well-being is the best form of self-love. This journey is truly not a one-time event; it’s a daily commitment to nurturing my mental, emotional, financial, and physical health. This realization actually made the self-love journey more realistic for me. Instead of constantly chasing this unrealistic goal of perfect self-love, I accepted the fact that self-love is simply a continuous journey that will have highs and lows (and that’s okay because there’s beauty in the highs and lows)!
Let’s talk about the different ways to show self-love during this season.
Creating a Self-Love Planner: A Daily Reminder to Prioritize You
How do you capture your self-love practice? Personally, I plan and execute self-care days for myself. But recently, I’ve been toying with the idea of keeping a self-love planner or journal. I want something concrete (like a planner) that will serve as a daily reminder to prioritize my well-being despite the hustle culture that’s constantly thrown in our face. (I’m guilty of falling for it too!) A self-care journal would be a good place to not only schedule self-care, but have a dedicated space to self-reflect, set self-love goals, and plan different self-care rituals.
Daily Affirmations for a Positive Mindset: Rewriting Your Inner Narrative
Of course I can’t write about self-care without talking about affirmations.
Affirmations have been a powerful force in reshaping my self-perception. As I’ve said time and time again, words have power. They influence the mind and can affect our emotions. Affirmations have helped me during my toughest times, whether struggling with stress at work, dealing with a break up, or just simply feeling down. Affirmations are a powerful tool as they serve as a positive anchor, reminding me that self-love starts from within. There’s a popular saying that goes, I can’t be anything to anyone if I’m nothing to myself.
If you’re new to self-care or to writing affirmations, check out this blog post for some easy tips to empower you as you start writing your own affirmations!
Solo Date Nights: Cultivating Joy in Your Own Company
Have you ever taken yourself out on a date?
One of my favorite ways to show love to myself is by taking myself out on a date. I love taking some PTO to get a massage and a pedicure, go to Barnes and Nobles for a book, and to just disconnect from the world and the stress. I will often grab food from my favorite cafe and just simply enjoy my own presence. These intentional moments of self-indulgence allow me to reconnect with activities I love.
Depending on the activity, taking yourself out on a date can feel odd. I’ll be the first to admit that I probably wouldn’t go to a restaurant by myself on a Friday or Saturday night. But taking yourself out on a date doesn’t have to be at night nor does it have to include those traditional date night activities. The key is to do what you love and to enjoy your own company.
Writing a Love Letter to Yourself: A Heartfelt Exercise in Self-Appreciation
I take lengthy showers. (Stay with me here, I promise this is important to know!) My shower routine is pretty involved but I also spend that time talking to myself. During the weekday, I use shower time to get myself mentally prepared for the workday. On weekends, I talk to myself as if I’m an old friend and just think about the day/week.
In the spirit of self-love, I encourage you to try writing a love letter to yourself (or talk to yourself)! Pour your thoughts onto paper, expressing gratitude for your accomplishments, acknowledging your strengths, and embracing your uniqueness. Talking to yourself with love or writing a love letter to yourself helps to train your brain to recognize and appreciate the incredible person you are.
Mindful Meditation for Self-Compassion: Nurturing Your Inner Sanctuary
Mindful meditation has played such a strong role in cultivating self-compassion for me. Life is chaotic, y’all. There’s always some event to attend, work to do, and things to clean. Amidst the chaos of daily life, taking a few moments to sit in silence, focusing on my breath, and letting go of self-critical thoughts has been a grounding practice. It's through these quiet moments that I've learned to be kinder and more understanding towards myself, acknowledging that perfection is an unrealistic expectation.
What I realized about meditating is that it doesn’t have to be a 30-minute event each and every time. Sometimes my most powerful moments for me are when I step away from the stress and the chaos of the day to simply close my eyes, breathe, and get my mind on track.
How often do you take intentional mindful moments for yourself? Grab your planner and plan some meditation time for yourself this week.
Creating a Self-Love Playlist: The Soundtrack of Your Personal Growth
I love music (but let’s be real, who doesn’t)! I have playlists for different vibes and moods for life. One way to show yourself love this season is to create a playlist or two of your favorite songs. I have a list of favorite songs I like to listen to when I’m in the mood for something loving or even when I prefer something soft and ethereal.
Try creating a playlist for yourself during this Valentine’s Day season.
Embrace Your Passions: Fueling Your Soul with Purpose
Hobbies. Embrace your hobbies, y’all.
One way that I love to show love to myself is by pursuing my hobbies. I absolutely love to read. I’ve talked a lot about how I have so many fond memories of going to the bookstore when I was younger. Now, I still love going to Barnes and Nobles, picking a Book of the Month every month, and browsing audiobooks on Spotify.
Whether it's dedicating time to painting, writing, gardening, or any other passion, find time this month to cultivate your hobbies and reconnect with yourself.
Practice Gratitude: Shifting Your Focus Towards Positivity
How’s your gratitude practice?
If you don’t have a gratitude practice, this is your sign to start one today.
I practice gratitude every day, although it looks different depending on the day and my mood. Part of my shower routine is thinking about a few things that I’m grateful for in that moment. Other days, I’ll journal and mention a few things in life that I’m grateful for. Gratitude practice has been a game changer for me. Through gratitude, I’m learning to cultivate contentment and appreciation for life. (Contentment is a practice, not a goal/award!)
When you practice gratitude today, take some time to think about a few things about yourself that you want to honor with gratitude. It’s easy to practice gratitude for the material things, so take time to honor those features/characteristics about yourself as a way to show self-love.
Digital Detox Day: Unplug to Reconnect with Yourself
Digital self-care is one of the eight types of self-care for a reason! As an introvert, it’s important for me to disconnect from the digital world and be intentional about my thoughts and time. This intentional time away allows me to be present in the moment, fostering self-reflection and creating space for genuine connection with myself.
If you’re in a season of intention with your finances, this is a great option. Unplugging from the digital world is a great way to practice self-love at no cost to yourself.
Nourish Your Body and Mind: The Foundation of Self-Love
Prioritizing self-love can also mean taking care of your physical well-being! This goes beyond just “eating healthy.” How are you sleeping? Are you taking vitamins? Are you drinking enough water? Are you stretching? If you’re like me and you sit at a desk for work, have you gotten out of your seat to walk and stretch? Do you give your eyes adequate time away from screens?
There’s so many ways we can show love to our body this season.
Embracing Imperfection: The Beauty of an Unfinished Journey
Self-care is a practice. Self-love is a PRACTICE.
This means that the journey of self-love will never be perfect. Self-love is not about achieving a flawless state but rather about acknowledging and accepting our imperfections. It's an ongoing process of growth, self-discovery, and learning to be compassionate with ourselves, even in the face of setbacks.
Most importantly on this list, show yourself love by being patient with yourself as you are on this journey of self-love.
Don’t Forget to Celebrate You this Season!
As Valentine's Day approaches, don’t forget to celebrate and honor you this season.
The most important relationship you'll ever have is the one with yourself. Incorporate some self-love activities as a way to commit to your self-love journey and to celebrate the incredible person you are.
How will you show yourself love this week? Comment below!