How To Practice Self-Love on Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day is not only for couples. Even if you’re single, you should take this moment to celebrate one of the most essential kinds of love: self-love. Many people underestimate the power of self-love but in truth, if you learn to love yourself, you can be more confident and a lot happier. Having self-love can also help you avoid depression and anxiety.

Self-love is not about being selfish; it is about taking care of yourself physically, mentally, and emotionally. As the saying goes, “you cannot pour from an empty cup” so you need to nurture yourself and treat yourself well. This way you will be able to also share this love to people around you.

How can you practice self-love this Valentine’s Day? Nope – drinking alone and finishing that old bottle of wine is not the answer. You’ll only give yourself a nasty hangover in the morning and you’ll probably hate yourself for drinking too much.

Here are some ideas.

1. Go on a date with yourself

Just because you don’t have a significant other to celebrate Valentine’s with doesn’t mean that you can’t dress up and go on a fancy dinner alone. Have a nice meal to celebrate another year of being you! Being alone does not necessarily mean being lonely. So, go on and order the best steak in the house or get that handmade pasta you’ve always wanted to taste.

2. Buy yourself fresh flowers and chocolates

The sight of fresh flowers and chocolates can give anyone a good mood. If no one is there to give you these Valentine’s staples, buy them for yourself and enjoy them. Flowers can brighten up your room or your office desks; while chocolates can provide a natural boost to your happy hormones.

3. Splurge on something you’ve always wanted

During Valentine’s Day, many people buy their partners expensive gifts. If you don’t have a significant other, then what’s stopping you from getting yourself something special? This is your Valentine’s gift to yourself so make sure you buy something you actually want and it will make you happy.  Whether it’s a Chanel bag, a sleek gadget, or a new vacuum cleaner – you deserve rewarding yourself because you’ve worked hard for that money after all.

4. Enjoy a guilty pleasure

Many times, people stop themselves from doing things that make them happy because they are conscious of what other people might think. Instead of pursuing their own happiness, they try to fit in by doing, buying, or experiencing things that they don’t actually like.

Is your guilty pleasure watching TV marathons of the Kardashians? Or maybe listening to old NSync and Backstreet Boys songs? If you feel pleasure doing these harmless things on Valentine’s then go ahead, even if they might seem embarrassing to others.

5. Sleep indulgently

Sleep is a luxury that many people cannot enjoy. If you don’t have a date on Valentine’s Day, indulging yourself in uninterrupted sleep is an awesome idea. Your body will thank you for it! If you have the cash, step it up and book a hotel staycation and enjoy the hotel facilities alone.

6. Hang out with people you actually like

Many singles on Valentine’s go on group dates with friends who are also single. This is totally fine but do yourself a favor: Make sure you actually like the people you’re hanging out with.

Don’t force yourself to go out just because you don’t want to look like a loser even if it means spending time with awful people. If you truly want to practice self-love, then this is a good time to declutter people around you and only keep those who are good for you.

7. Learn to forgive yourself

What you may not realize is that you are your self’s biggest critic. When you look at the mirror, are you the first person to say that you’re getting fat? Are you the first to berate yourself when you make a mistake? Do you hate yourself when you do something stupid?

Learning to criticize yourself can sometimes be a productive way to become a better person but being too hard on yourself can also be destructive.

You have to learn to forgive yourself for your slip ups. Nobody is perfect and that is a reality in this world. No matter how carefully you plan out your life, you will still make mistakes along the way. This is unavoidable. Learn to accept that this is going to happen and instead of hating yourself for making mistakes – forgive yourself and strive to learn from the experience.

If you or a loved one is struggling with substance abuse, help is available.

Contact Anaheim Lighthouse today.