Art Of Hearts Blowing Across A Vanilla Canvas

Loving Yourself On Valentine’s Day

As Valentine’s Day approaches, emotions tend to start running high.

There will be those of us who are feeling happy and thankful for the romantic partners in our lives. Then there will be those of us who are struggling in our relationships, so the thought of Valentine’s Day might make us regretful of those loving feelings that are no longer present. Others might start feeling sad around this time of year, feeling out of place due to their single status. However, being single or in a struggling relationship doesn’t make you lesser. In fact, it can be an opportunity to show yourself some love on Valentine’s Day.

We’ve put together a couple of self-love tips to help you feel better that apply not only to Valentine’s Day season. but throughout the year to keep your wellness at a high and your woes at bay.

Getting Past The Stigma

If Valentine’s day is not a happy day for you, then know this. You’re not alone. You won’t be the only one in a struggling relationship, and you won’t be the only one feeling low because of your singleness or drama. But rather than buckle under the mental and emotional pressures that you might be suffering from, try to turn your mindset around. Rather than focus your thoughts on the lack of love in your life, manifest love into the equation and turn it towards yourself.

You see, you are important too. You are special. And you are worthy of love. Self-love is not a selfish or strange thing. It’s not an abstract thing, and it is certainly not an unhealthy thing. When you start being good to yourself, not only will you feel the benefits, but others will sit up and take notice. They will see a difference in your confidence. They will see a happier you. And they will see somebody who knows they deserve to be loved. You might even become an inspiration to others, perhaps to those who themselves are struggling with feelings of anxiety and inadequacy during the Valentine’s Day season. Confidence is attractive!

So, be you in a relationship or not, don’t treat yourself as second-best. Prioritize self-love in your life, as you are deserving of it. You can do this in some of the following ways…

Treat Yourself On Valentine’s Day

Regardless of your relationship status, you deserve to be treated with something special. If no one else in your life is present to shower you with tokens of appreciation, then do it for yourself! Buy yourself some flowers or some chocolates. Go to a movie theatre, order yourself something from your Amazon wishlist or head out to the mall and buy hot item you’ve been eying that will make you feel good – ‘retail therapy’ can go a long way!

While it isn’t good to ‘break the bank’ entirely, the important thing is to not sit around feeling bad about yourself, you need to get out there! Head to a quiet restaurant or bar – chances are there will be others there who are in a situation similar to yours. You could end up making a new friend, and who knows? You just might end up meeting your soulmate on Valentine’s day.

If this seems intimidating, rack your brain for any friends your have that might be in the same spot in life that you are in. You might make eachother’s day by going out together and keeping eachother company. Even if all of your connections are in seemingly ideal places for a day centered around romance, that may not be the case. Call or text to see what your friends or families plans are, you may end up surprised and have found yourself a buddy for your Valentine’s Day outing.

Forgive Yourself Of Any Past Mistakes And Imperfections

Nobody is perfect. Even the ultra-successful & famous have issues going on behind the curtain that most don’t see. There will be flaws in your character, and you will have made mistakes in your life. But should you let them overwhelm you? No! Embrace your humanness. Know that your imperfections are what makes you, you! Lean into the future. As soon as you come to terms with such things, you will be able to breathe in a way you forgot was possible. You can learn from any past mistakes and embrace your uniqueness. Love yourself, focus on the things you can change, and cut yourself a little bit of slack.

 

Count The Things You Are Grateful For

Gratitude is good for you. It can give you cause you to think about what is going right in your life, and it can steer you in positive directions. It can change your outward behavior too, and that will affect how others relate to you.

Don’t look at others and compare yourself unflatteringly to them. Don’t think of yourself as less-than. There will be aspects of your life that are good and positive, so dwell on those things rather than stewing on the ways your life compares seemingly unfavorably to those around you. There’s a good chance that those you compare yourself to aren’t doing as well as they seem.

Be grateful for your individual skills and talents. Be grateful for your friends, family members, and those other people who love you. Be grateful for your past and the good things you have accomplished. And be grateful for those little things that cause you some degree of happiness each day, and the additional positive things that are to come.

Check out this article to find out more about the positive effects this mindset can have on your life. And on Valentine’s Day, spend some time thinking about the many things you have to be grateful for. Dwell on them, and remind yourself of them whenever your thoughts threaten to focus on anything that could cause you to feel low.

Take Care Of Yourself!

 

When we feel bad about ourselves, we can let ourselves go. We can resist exercise, give zero thought to our diets, and engage in those habit-forming behaviors that would generally be considered unhealthy. We then get caught up in a vicious cycle, as we start to feel second-best because of the way we have treated ourselves. Our confidence levels take a dip. We start to hate the way we look and feel, and we become self-conscious around other people who may or may not have noticed the lack of effort we have recently put towards self-care.

So, this Valentine’s Day, don’t neglect yourself. Get up in the morning and eat a healthy breakfast. Go for a walk or run, or other physical activity that invigorates your mind and body. Make an effort to dress well, even if you don’t have anything social planned. As is stated in an article at Wellfellow.com, the way you dress positively affects the way you feel, the way you act, and the way others perceive you. It all goes with the age-old saying “look good, feel good!”.

So, embody that confident person. Be that person who feels good about themselves on Valentine’s Day. Do whatever you can to take care of the person who knows you the most intimately; you! Before you know it you will start to feel better about yourself on both an emotional and a physical level.

 

Serenate Yourself

 

Get rid of any negative thought processes by speaking kindly to yourself. You compliment yourself mentally, or aloud face to face in the mirror, or even by writing yourself a love letter. Heck, make it a poem about how amazing you are!

Here are some sentence openers.

  • I love the fact that I can…
  • Something great about being me is…
  • My most attractive feature is…
  • I am so proud of that moment when…
  • I am glad that I have the opportunity to…
  • I am crazy about me because…

Use these sentence openers to give yourself some positive affirmation, and find more inspiration here for other ways to talk kindly to yourself. Especially when the kindness of others is in short supply, you will do much for your self-esteem if you can remind yourself of the many wonderful things that make up who you are.

Love Yourself!

In conclusion, this Valentine’s Day, reconnect with you again. Show yourself some love, treat yourself with kindness, and shower yourself with praise. Whether you are in a relationship or not, there is no harm in prioritizing time with yourself. You will then start to feel better about your self-image. Your confidence levels will grow. And you will remember that, even if your life isn’t perfect, you are still worthy of love and respect.

We hope you have a wonderful day, whether you spend it alone or with others. But if you do need somebody to talk to, and you happen to live around the Houston, Texas area, then reach out to us here at the Wellness Collaborative. We offer both relationship advice and support to those who need help in overcoming their personal barriers in life. Take a look around our website at the help we can offer you, and don’t hesitate to get in touch if you feel that you need that extra lifeline of support!