This Valentine’s Day, Date Yourself first!
V alentine’s day has become a time each year for every person, in a relationship or not, to celebrate their favorite four-letter word: love.
Our connotation for love might be different, romantic or devotion for our partner, gratefulness for our family members, or affection for our best friends, but the emotions and enthusiasm are the same.
We plan surprises, bring them gifts, even go out of our way to show our love and care. But are we the same when it comes to loving ourselves?
Do we at any point get to stop and ask ourselves if we love ourselves? Do you have affection for yourself? Are you grateful to yourself? Are you devoted to yourself? Do we ever answer these questions honestly?
If not, it’s time to rekindle the relationship that is going to last until the end of time, the one with yourself.
Here are a few ways to practice self-love this Valentine’s Day and every day:
- Accept yourself the way you are:
It’s important bettering yourself, but that shouldn’t be a hindrance to accepting yourself today the way you are. Accepting yourself and striving to improve goes hand in hand. In fact, it is almost impossible to grow without appreciating where you are right now.
Most studies also show that self-acceptance plays a major factor in motivating ourselves to achieve our goals.
Your height, your personality, the way you smile, the way you dance, all these things make you who you are right now. Own them. Love them. Let them be the reason you grow further.
- Take yourself out on a date:
Dress up and take yourself for an outing. Choose a venue of your choice, indulge in an activity that brings you joy, be it a dine out, or a movie night or any other social activity that you love doing. Enjoy the moment with yourself. Embrace yourself. Take time to understand yourself. Take every opportunity to compliment yourself, the way you expect your partner to. Because, in this scenario, you are your own partner.
The love of your life is waiting for you. You just have to look in the mirror!
- Set boundaries:
One of the bravest acts towards self-love is to value your time, energy, and how much of yourself you are giving to others. If you often find yourself not able to say no to anyone, you need to act on it now! This does not mean that you still can’t be kind or giving.
Setting boundaries is just a way to show some self-love and prioritize yourself. In fact, by investing time and energy on yourself, you can be more valuable to others around you.
It is necessary, and even vital, to set boundaries for yourself. They are healthy, and normal. Don’t convince yourself otherwise!
- Forgive yourself:
The downside of being grown-up and responsible is that we are so hard on ourselves. We punish ourselves for the mistakes done and never try to forgive ourselves. But what we forget is that no one is perfect. We have to accept this humanness before we truly love ourselves. Try to be less hard on yourself. Because even failures are a stepping stone towards our success, and if you grow from your mistakes, there are only lessons learned.
Forgiving yourself is as important as forgiving others. Guilt is toxic. Forgive yourself, love yourself!
- Eat well:
Be selective about the food you eat. Have food that nourishes your body, because this is the most important form of self-love. Know how your food affects your body and choose those that provide you energy, comfort, and delight.
Eat well, live well!
- Become mindful:
One of the most important steps towards self-love is to be mindful of what you want from yourself, how you think and feel. Being mindful of who you are will allow you to act according to yourself, and not on what others want from them.
Mindfulness is a way of befriending ourselves and our experiences!
- Write yourself a love note:
Take some time and write all the things you adore about yourself. Ignore your flaws for the time being. Currently, your doubts might be bigger than the love for yourself, but instead of focusing on your imperfections, concentrating on your strengths will fuel your mind to be more grateful for yourself and will create more appreciation.
Work on being in love with the person on the mirror, who has been through so much but is still standing strong!
- Protect yourself:
Surround yourself with the right people. Some people take pleasure in your pain and sorrow rather than in your happiness and success. Let go of them now! There isn’t enough space in your life to accommodate people who take away the shine from your face, people who don’t let you love yourself enough. Doing so, you will love and respect yourself more.
Protect your spirit from contamination. Limit your time with negative people!
- Live life king size:
Remember to indulge in things that bring you joy and excitement. Remember to live your life with purpose and design. Set time aside for yourself. Fall in love with yourself.
Live your life to the fullest. Fall in love with yourself, today and every day of your life!
The fact that someone else loves you, doesn’t rescue you from the project of loving yourself. Love yourself first!
