Valentine’s Day is here and you may be planning to do something special for your partner, family, friend, or children to express your love. However, so often we tend to overlook an important person on this holiday – OURSELVES! 

So many people struggle with self-love in this day and age, which is often made worse by spending too much time on social media comparing ourselves to others. Far too many of us are so concerned with upholding a certain image, we lose sight of who we really are. So, let’s explore how we can shift away from comparison and begin to practice self-love. 

Self-love is about having self-worth, staying true to yourself, and not settling for less than you deserve. This means learning to say no, setting boundaries, and not giving into peer pressure or social norms. While you can always work to improve in certain areas, self-love is about acknowledging and accepting where you are now, with all your strengths and weaknesses.  

It does not matter where you fall on the spectrum of self-love, all that matters is that you are willing to cultivate this relationship with yourself. Below are a few ways to practice these aspects of self-love broken out into mental, spiritual, and physical health. Pick one or two that resonate with you and truly commit to focusing on those. Remember, you don’t need self-love to begin practicing self-love. 

Mental:

• Say daily positive affirmations (consider speaking them out loud in front of a mirror)
• Become aware of negative thoughts about yourself and replace them with a positive one 
• Acknowledge any and all accomplishments, no matter how small 
• Let go of past mistakes and instead ask yourself: “What did I learn from them?”
• Avoid or limit social media if this contributes to poor self-esteem

Spiritual:

• Reconnect with what you want to do instead of always focusing on what you “need” to get done 
• Meditate 
• Try a gratitude journal: Every morning write down 3 things you are grateful for 
• Get outside every day
• Volunteer to a cause you feel passionate about

Physical: 

• Focus on eating whole foods with a lot of color
• Take an Epsom salt bath
• Prioritize sleep 
• Stay adequately hydrated
• Get a massage

Self-love is about looking within and taking responsibility for how you currently think and feel about yourself. The more that you cultivate this relationship with yourself, the more you can appreciate and love those around you even more too! Give yourself and your loved ones a gift this Valentine’s Day and make a commitment to practicing self-love.