Valentine’s Day is here, which means that love is in the air, whether it is for a partner, a family member or yourself. I know a lot of people have thoughts about Valentine’s Day, but I think that due to where our world is right now (midterms, elections, general chaos) we all need a little extra love. Therefore, you will find me wearing pink on Valentine’s Day and listening to my Nina Simone and Frank Sinatra love ballads on repeat. Despite this, the monetary limit of which I will do self care on Valentine’s Day is remarkably tight, but I embrace it.
Ergo, here’s my hot take on self care, just in time for Valentines Day.
I love treating myself as much as the next girl. I love getting the occasional manicure and facial, as well as door dashing and bingeing movies on Netflix. What I don’t love, however, are the feelings that I have after these experiences. Manicures give me financial guilt, whereas bingeing Netflix reminds me of all of the assignments and commitments I am procrastinating on.
However, the best night that I have had in a long time was a chill night in. I deep cleaned my room before getting pasta for dinner. Then I put on a comfy -yet cute- shirt, and I scrolled around on pinterest for an hour to compile some inspiration for a future project. I went to bed ~before midnight~ and woke up the next morning and drank some cold water.
It. was. Amazing.
Why? Because doing all of these things are perfectly attuned to who I am as a person. While everyone might not see the beauty of waking up early and drinking some water and meditating, it felt like hitting a reset button.
The point that I am trying to make about self care is that it can be whatever you need most at the time, and is completely valid (so long as it’s safe) even if it’s not the most insta worthy. I feel like we’re all so caught up on what the world has to say about how we take care of ourselves, but the only opinion that matters is yours. One of my mentors once told me that self care exists in the smallest things that you need in the moment. Sometimes you need to put your homework on pause and take a hot shower. Sometimes you need to check your email in class to bring your mind back to the subject. It is truly up to you and what you need.
So this Valentines Day, I challenge you to do something that you need most in the moment. Maybe it will be something as picture worthy as getting dinner and having a wine night with your friends. Maybe it will be sitting down with a cup of tea and planning out your budget. Whatever it is, I hope you enjoy it. Happy Valentines Day!