Self-Love —Putting Yourself First This Valentine’s Day (And Beyond)

In the spirit of the upcoming holiday that I can’t stop gabbing about (get it), I wanted to shift the focus from couples to ourselves. Whether you’re in a relationship, married, single, or dating, loving yourself is something we can and should practice daily!

Self-love is an acceptance of and appreciation for oneself. Loving ourselves may look different for each of us. For some, it may mean prioritizing themselves or setting healthier work/life boundaries, for others it’s breaking the cycle of self-criticism or letting go of past mistakes. Spending time each day being intentional about being kind and gracious to yourself will improve your mood and self-esteem! While self-care and self-love are related, self-love moves beyond self-care by targeting your unhealthy thoughts and feelings. What I mean by this is the more we tell ourselves the negative or irrational lies such as “I am not good enough” “I can’t do anything” or “I always make mistakes” the more we believe them to be true. Be mindful and watchful of your thoughts, ask yourself “Are my thoughts helpful or unhelpful? Kind or unkind? Healthy or unhealthy?” Then, replace those negative thoughts with positive ones— “I am beautiful” “I am confident” I am capable” “I am brave.” Soon enough, you’ll be able to quickly recognize your negative thought patterns and intervene before it impacts how you feel. It all starts with how we think about ourselves. So, this Valentine’s Day (and beyond) remember to be kind, gracious, and loving to yourself!

Let me know on my instagram story how you plan to love yourself this week!