Love on Yourself This Valentine’s Day
3 min read
February 14th may be a day you look forward to with great excitement; maybe it's a day you dread, or perhaps it's another square on the calendar. I have felt all of the ways mentioned above about Valentine's Day. There have been years when I have spent the day cozied up with a partner; other times, I have spent it involuntarily at home, refraining from social media to avoid the happy couple photos clogging my feed, or times I have treated it like any other day, refusing to buy into an unnecessary commercial celebration.
In the last year or so, however, Valentine's Day has begun to take on a new meaning for me. To me, the day speaks to our innate need to feel loved, appreciated and desired and to reciprocate those feelings. With this understanding, Valentine's Day is not just for romantic relationships. It's about celebrating the forms of love we find deeply fulfilling, including the love for ourselves. And yes, we should show and receive love all 365 days, but we sometimes don't commemorate as we should. So as cheesy as it may sound, Valentine's Day is an opportunity to show love and care in modest and grand ways to our partners, friends, children, members of our community, and most importantly ourselves. Whether in a stable relationship, presently looking for a significant other, or perfectly happy and whole on our own, we can embrace the spirit of February 14th joyfully.
Need a bit of inspiration. Here are seven loving things you can do on V-Day that don't involve being coupled.
Throw a soiree
Spending time with friends is a great celebration of love that doesn't involve romance. Invite friends, cook a scrumptious dinner, and pop some bubbly and toast to all the times love saw you through the good and trying times.
Unplug and Recharge
A social media detox is good for the soul, even if you're not trying to avoid seeing an ex's pictures. Log out of Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter, and turn your attention to journaling, starting a new book, meditating, or simply catching up on sleep.
Journal prompt - write a love letter to yourself
Facetime a loved one
Good relationships are the key to happiness, so call a valued friend or a family member who you haven't spoken to in a while and exchange stories of what’s happening in your respective lives, and let yourself bask in the tenderness of the moment. During the chat, remember to express your love and appreciation for the person.
Do something nice for someone
If you don't have a partner to love on, other people around you may need some TLC. Choose someone in your community–a grandparent, an elderly neighbor, a mentor, or a niece/nephew– and send them a sweet card or gift.
Enjoy Your Company
Enjoy a cozy night in and order or make your favorite mouth-watering dish. You can channel warmer days with this summer rolls recipe. And remember to end the night with dessert. You can't go wrong with this dessert combo: Coffee bean ice cream + cookies & cream granola
Enjoy a beauty treatment
Indulge in self-maintenance by treating yourself to a haircut, facial, manicure/pedicure, or a massage. You will look good and feel good for days to come.
Buy yourself flowers
Treat yourself to a beautiful floral arrangement that will not only liven up your living space, but you can bask in the sweet smell for days to come.
Lastly, do whatever makes you happy! Love can take many forms depending on the seasons of our lives, and we need to be open and accepting of those many forms as they come and emerge.
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