It has just hit February and we all know what that means…Valentine’s Day! I know that a lot of people, including myself, have always seen Valentine’s Day as a day strictly for couples. However, that is not the case at all! Now I am not going to lie, I have never been a huge fan of this holiday, but this year I am going to be celebrating it for myself and no-one else. Valentine’s Day is a holiday that should be celebrated by everyone, despite your relationship status. Taken or not, self-love is a practice for all. For one to be able to love someone else, they need to be able to love themselves first! I understand that this can be a hard thing to accomplish at times, so I compiled a list of the top five things you can do right now to get this self-love season started off right!
1. Skin care
Personal Hygiene is, in fact, self-love. So what better way to start off Valentine’s Day than making skin care a part of your daily routine! Skin care is something that I recently got into, and I have to admit that I absolutely love it! My favorite places to shop for skin care products are definitely Target and Walmart! Whenever I am cleansing my skin, I genuinely feel at my best. It is the one time in my day where I am truly able to look into the mirror and see me for me. It can be hard at times to take off my makeup and see acne, but over time I have learned that a face with acne is just as beautiful as a face without acne. Let’s normalize it! Doing skin care is also a great time to do some self affirmations. You are an amazing person! Look in the mirror and tell yourself that!
2. go do that activity you always wanted to do
Life can be so busy at times that it can be difficult to take the proper time to focus on ourselves. About a year ago I found a love for working out. Going to the gym was always something that I wanted to try out, but never felt like I had the time. Once I started going to the gym, not only did my physical health improve as a whole, but so did my mental health. Now the gym may not be for everyone, so find that activity that brings you to your happy place. That may be taking that art class you always wanted to take, breaking out a new board game or learning how to play a new instrument. Whatever that is, make sure you are doing it for you and not anyone else. Your happiness comes first!
3. treat yourself
Miley Cyrus said it best in her recent song, “Flowers,” that it is okay to buy yourself flowers and hold your own hand…you don’t need anyone else to do those things for you. I think sometimes it is hard for people to reward themselves of their accomplishments, big or small, because they see it as an act of being “selfish”, when in reality it is an act of self-love. Be proud of who you are, your accomplishments, and your life, because at the end of the day you are the one you are going to be spending the rest of your life with. In fact, according to The Harvard Crimson, being surrounded by flowers can truly help to lift your spirits. So go buy that seven dollar bouquet at your local Walmart! You deserve it!
4. PUT DOWN YOUR PHONE
Social Media. It is something that most, if not all, people have heard of. Believe it or not, social media has truly taken over the world. As great as the internet can be at times, it can also be very toxic. There is so much going on in our society that the media can be super overwhelming. I know, personally, that sometimes going on apps such as Snapchat, Instagram and TikTok bring me much more negative emotions than positive. There are some days where I actually need to set down my phone and not pay attention to it at all. As difficult as this may seem, in the end I genuinely feel more put together and happy. Your brain is already consuming so much information throughout the day that going on social media can almost feel like a chore. Give your brain a break. It will thank you later.
5. relax
Relaxation is something that I don’t believe most people think of when they think of self-love, however, this is most definitely a form of self-love. Your sleep and rest is just as important to your overall physical health as anything else. Over time I have learned that it is okay for me to be relaxing, but it hasn’t always been the easiest thing. There would be times when I would almost feel this sense of guilt for simply resting…but why? Majority of the time when you relax you are doing it because your body needs it. Give your body what it wants. I promise you that in the end you are going to feel much more relaxed, happy, less stressed and overall more balanced. This semester I am taking a beginners yoga class, which may seem odd, but I am so thankful that I took it. That class is the one class where I am able to completely relax and forget about everything else. If you ever have the opportunity to take a class like that I definitely recommend. All in all, it is an important thing to listen to your body. If you need to take a nap, go do it!
Next time you start to feel sad or lonely this month, remember that you are an amazing human being that deserves to be spoiled! By yourself or someone else!