Valentine’s Day is 13 days away. I am way past the days of decorating shoe boxes with hearts or stuffing clear bags with candy. I do not wait for a bouquet of flowers, a box of chocolates, or reservations at a romantic restaurant. This year, I got to thinking about turning Valentine’s Day inward towards us, towards our hearts, towards greater self-love. This month I want to focus on the most important relationship we can have, the one we have with ourselves.
Self-love or the love of self is about understanding who you are as a person and loving that person no matter what. You are giving yourself permission to be you. There are misconceptions about self-love that I believe social media has distorted. Splurging on a designer handbag or traveling to a bucket list location can be a way to experience self-love but not a way we can practice daily. Self-love is how we treat ourselves, how we let others treat us, how we set boundaries and goals, how we react to the negative stresses in our lives, and believing we are worthy of love.
Self-love stems from how you care for yourself mentally, physically, and spiritually. “The average adult brain creates approximately 70,000 thoughts each day, but the brain is designed to seek out threats, keep you safe from danger, and protect you. As a result, your brain tends to focus on the negative.” Self-love is something that does not happen overnight, it is something we must cultivate. Here are a few things we can practice every day to deepen our connection and love for ourselves.
The art of meditation is something I do every day. I spend 20 to 25 minutes focusing on my breathing and stilling my mind. This bluetooth portable meditative light and sound therapy speaker is the perfect tool to get you started.
I walk every day. Sometimes I am working but other times I am taking in everything around me like sights, smells, and sounds. This anorak is the perfect companion for almost any walk.
Nowadays everything can be done on your phone from buying a plane ticket to ordering food. The time that you would have spent on your phone take one hour to journal or think about positive affirmations. If you cannot think of your own, Stressless has 80 Tips and Affirmations.
Take time every day to quiet your mind and let yourself daydream. Maybe put some lavender oil in a diffuser and go to another place, even for 10 minutes. This eye pillow is the perfect thing to start your dreams.
Every morning we should start by placing our hand on our
hearts and saying, “I love you.” Happy
Valentine’s Day to you all!
