The opinions expressed in this article are the writer’s own and do not reflect the views of Her Campus.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Brown chapter.
Being single on Valentine’s Day can be tough, especially when your Tik Tok FYP is flooded with gift ideas and your Instagram feed is full of couples’ posts. However, Valentine’s Day is a day to celebrate all love—whether that be towards your partner, friends, family, and, most importantly, yourself.
Here are eight ideas to practice self love in the wake of Valentine’s Day:
- Skincare: Facemask/skincare nights is one of my favorite ways to practice self love on an average weeknight. This is a great and easy way to take some time for yourself by taking care of your skin and body. I love the Shape Up Mask from Avatara Skincare for my facemask nights.
- Sweet Treat O’Clock: Another great and easy way to practice self care is to get yourself a little sweet treat (whatever that means for you). One of my go to sweet treats is a nutella, strawberry, banana crepe from La Creperie on Thayer Street, but you could also hit up Sydney PVD or Ceremony for a fun caffeinated beverage.
- Buy yourself a little gift: Along the lines of a sweet treat, rewarding yourself with a little gift can be another great way to practice self love. We are often so hard on ourselves and minimize our own achievements, so it never hurts to treat yourself to something you really want every once in a while. At the top of my list right now is an activewear set (I love the ones from theevrydayco), a cute mug from Homegoods, and a Jelly Cat stuffed animal.
- Try a workout class: Movement is totally an underrated form of self love. Treat yourself this Valentine’s Day with a fun and engaging workout class. I love the classes at Corefit RI and Rareform Pilates, but the Nelson Fitness Center also has many other great (and free) options. If doing a workout class isn’t feasible for you right now, take a mental health walk down to Wayland Square for a little break from the craziness of campus.
- Build a new habit: Are you tired of your current routines? Do you have any current “toxic” habits or any habits you want to change? Building a new habit can be a great way to improve your mental health and practice self love long term. This Valentine’s season I encourage you to start doing something small you think would improve your day to day quality of life. Some good ideas are waking up 15-30 minutes earlier, taking daily walks, eating breakfast, and setting screen time limits.
- Write affirmations and journal: I try to write daily affirmations, and they genuinely have such a positive impact on my mental health (this would also be a great habit to try to build). As an act of self love, take some time to write affirmations, journal, and reflect on your goals and progress. This will help you mentally reset and recenter yourself for the future.
- Buy yourself flowers: As Miley Cyrus said, “I can buy myself flowers,” and you can too! I buy flowers weekly for my room during my grocery shopping run, and they really brighten up my room and improve its general appearance. Trader Joes has some great affordable options—I usually get the $3.99 bouquets.
- Create a vision board: While preparing to make a vision board can take some time and effort, it is such a fun and rewarding experience! All you need is a canvas, scissors, a glue stick or tape, and pictures and magazines of your choice. Much like affirmations and journaling, creating a vision board can help you figure out your priorities and reflect on your goals.