Valentine’s Day: The Practice of Self-Love 

With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, couples all over the country are being sucked into the commercial pull of roses, teddy bears and dinner reservations. But in this push to declare your love for someone else, there is often little regard for loving yourself. It’s 2023 and it’s time to expand the narrative. 

Self-love is one of the most valuable practices to keep, but it is often one of the hardest. As someone who has recently started a journey towards self-love and self-compassion, here are my go-to tips to get you started on your own journey. 

Invest in a good journal

For me, writing is a form of release. With that, something that has massively helped me become more in tune with myself has been journaling. Taking a few minutes out of each day to jot down any thoughts – positive or negative – allows me to unclutter my mind and feel much less clouded. Along with that, I have found that practising gratitude can be invaluable. In documenting daily achievements, no matter how small, can really help give a positive spin on life. 

Challenge yourself to have a digital detox 

Do you find yourself glued to your phone most of the time and scrolling endlessly on social media? I do too and if anything, it makes my self-esteem worse. It wasn’t until I started introducing digital detoxes into my life that I really realised how addicted to my phone I really was and how damaging that can be. I’m not saying that you should get rid of your phone completely, as these devices can be really great tools. However, if like me, you find yourself slipping into comparison behaviours with others on social media in a negative way, it could be useful to factor in some time out during the day by leaving your phone in a different room. 

Run yourself a soothing bath 

Nothing screams self-care more to me than a hot, steamy bubble bath. I must admit, the bath is probably my most treasured home comfort. But not only that, it is a great place to simply take some time out by yourself and really relax. I personally find that lighting a candle and turning the lights off, does wonders for stimulating the senses and I always come out feeling reams better than when I got in. What’s not to love?

Buy yourself some flowers 

In keeping with the Valentine’s theme, why not treat yourself to some fresh flowers the next time you’re in a supermarket? You don’t need to wait around for someone else to buy them for you, or you may be waiting a while! If, like me, you spend a lot of time in your bedroom, I find that having a bunch of fresh flowers in the corner really helps bring some colour and life to the same four walls and really puts a smile on my face. 

Breathe!

This last one may seem like a given, but I cannot stress this enough. One of the most powerful things that we, as human beings, can do is to take a moment and focus on our breath. Deep breathing really helps to reduce stress, and bring us back to the ground, especially after a difficult day. Even if you simply take one deep inhale and exhale just before you go to sleep, this can really help you to relax. If you’re interested in going a bit further with some longer mindfulness and breathing techniques, there are some brilliant YouTube videos and apps, such as Calm, that are dedicated to guiding you through this process and helping you find your inner peace. 

It can be far too easy to get so wrapped up in loving everyone else that ultimately, you end up forgetting to love yourself! So, this year, let’s dedicate Valentine’s day to loving ourselves and to treating ourselves with all the love and kindness that we truly deserve.