Dear Rachel,
I am surrounded by pink and red cards and overpriced flowers and candy boxes that say “Be Mine” and “Happy Valentines Day”. With the commercialization of this holiday, I wonder what is this holiday really about.
I know, it seems like Valentine’s Day is all about boxes of chocolate, cute teddy bears and heart shape jewelry but really that’s the last thing of what this holiday is about. I can’t pretend that I don’t like gifts, of course I do! But I do believe that Valentine’s Day should be more than just that, it is a day to reflect on those in your life, the relationships you have with them and of course, the relationship you have with yourself.
We all have super busy lives running around with a long to-do list. Some of us go to school and have exams to study for; have kids to care for; jobs outside of the home that require long hours; elderly parents to look after; pets to take care of- the list goes on and on. My gosh, when do we have time to fully take care of our own needs? Giving to ourselves rarely makes it to that list! But, practicing self-love takes practice! Here are a few ways you can be good to yourself:
1. Do something for yourself every day. This is solely for you. It might be going for a walk, getting a massage, enjoying a sweet without guilt, going for a pedicure, or sitting on your couch reading a magazine. Whatever it is, let go of the guilt and shame you may have around rewarding yourself and embrace what feels good. A few months ago, when the days started to get shorter (thanks to daylight savings time) I started to practice this. I would sit my ass down on the couch, unwind by watching the evening news. My kids looked at me like I was nuts. Why was I sitting down they wanted to know. Did I not feel well? Surely I had “things to do” (for them, they assumed!). I told them that I was taking some time to just sit and be. They got it! And 30 min of rest was lovely!
2. Practice saying “NO”. Learning to say NO is one of the best things you can do for yourself. When you say NO you create the space to say YES to yourself.
3. Put yourself out there! In order to grow and develop it is necessary to get uncomfortable. Always taking the easy road leaves you stuck in habitual patterns that don’t allow you to reach your true potential. What does this look like for you? It’s different for all of us. But, each of us knows that place that I am talking about. Breathe in love and breathe out fear. Keep practicing this because you can!
4. Keep striving towards your best self. Only then can you be as good as you are towards others in your life.
Live healthy= nutrition, wellness, balance.