8 Ways to Practice Self-Love on Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day is more than chocolates and romantic dinners. These are the ways you can practice self-love on Valentine’s Day.

No matter what stage of life you’re in, it’s likely filled with responsibilities, obligations, and decision making. Your schedule is jam-packed so it can be impossible to find time for yourself.

Valentine’s day is all about celebrating love, so why not give that love to yourself this year?

Whether you’re in a relationship or not, you deserve some special attention too.

Let’s get into how you can give yourself some love this V-day.

In this post:

1. Mindful Morning Routine
2. Connection with Nature
3. Nurture Your Passions
4. Quality Time Alone
5. Mindful Eating
6. Digital Detox
7. Gratitude Practice
8. Exercise as Self-Care

This post is all about how to practice self-love on Valentine’s Day.

Self-Love on Valentine’s Day

1. Mindful Morning Routine

Give yourself a positive start to the day with mindfulness. It can be as simple as acknowledging exactly where you are, how you feel, and what you are doing. It can also be a morning routine where you do intentional actions while being fully present.

This can look like: waking up slowly, meditating for a few minutes with focus on what makes you feel loved, then journaling how you intend to show yourself care, followed by a skincare routine, and finally, a healthy breakfast.

It doesn’t have to be complicated and shouldn’t inhibit you from staying on track in the morning, so anywhere you can sprinkle moments of reflection are a form of self-love.

2. Connection with Nature

There is so much beauty and inspiration in nature. Though Valentine’s Day is in the wintertime, there is still a lot you can appreciate.

It also helps to change your scenery, especially in a season where you spend more time indoors.

Buy yourself a warm, specialty drink, like a matcha tea latte or whatever your heart desires, and take yourself on a brisk walk. During that time, breathe in the fresh, cool air.

If you prefer to stay warm and cozy inside, spend time looking out the window to see if you notice anything outside you may not have seen before. Is there a bird perched on a branch or maybe tracks in the snow that could be from a forest friend?

In the evening, wrap yourself in a blanket and look at the dark sky to stargaze. In the quiet of winter, the stars are truly amazing to look at.

All of these activities, or whatever makes you feel connected with nature, are effective ways to bring you calm and deserved attention.

3. Nurture Your Passions

If possible, take a “Me Day” on Valentine’s and pour yourself into a passion project or anything that brings you joy.

Do you have a hobby you can never get around to doing? Make the purpose of your Valentine’s celebration to allow yourself to enjoy that.

You may have a busy schedule and lots of people depending on you, but that doesn’t mean you don’t have interests beyond taking care of those around you. And it’s not selfish to do so.

Whether it’s getting crafty, visiting an art museum, revisiting a neglected hobby, or trying something new altogether, figure out what you have the capacity to do and make it happen.

Rather than focusing on all the things you have to do and all that you want to but cannot do, ask yourself what you do have time for.

4. Quality Time Alone

There is definitely something to be said about quality alone time. This means uninterrupted solitude.

Again, it’s not selfish for you to want to be by yourself for Valentine’s Day. Also, you don’t need to spend the entire time alone either.

We all need time to ourselves to decompress, reflect, and relax.

Sometimes these breaks feel like such treasures and it’s easy for you to feel guilty for taking them or like you need to fill it with some productive.

Although you’re free to do whatever you want in that time, be mindful you’re not putting undue pressure to “make the most of it”.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with sitting with yourself and just being. If you would prefer to reflect another way, some ideas for doing that could be by reading, journaling, listening to music, sitting in front of a fire (or candle) and just focusing on the flame – this is a way of meditating, or even laying down in the supine position for savasana.

By the way, savasana, known as corpse pose, is done by laying on your back, with your eyes closed, if you wish. This is usually how yoga practices are closed out. It’s a restorative pose and should be relaxing. It also allows for you to take in what happened prior to you getting into that position and just letting it all sink in.

Whatever you do during your moments of solo time on Valentine’s, you’re doing good for you and your soul.

5. Mindful Eating

People usually think of Valentine’s Day as including a romantic meal. If you’re giving yourself some love, that doesn’t mean you have to skip it. In fact, all the more reason to nourish yourself.

Eat food you enjoy and take the time to really savor it. By eating slowly you allow yourself to taste all the flavors, make better food choices, improve your digestion, and regulate how much you are eating.

Even if you have someone to enjoy a meal with, maybe try eating alone and focusing on the experience of eating your meal while thanking yourself for nourishing your body.

Your body does so much for you everyday and it’s easy to get caught up in the daily momentum of life. Feeding yourself well and mindfully is one of the best ways you can thank it and give yourself love.

6. Digital Detox

It’s rare that you are ever without your phone because you rely on it so much. It’s your direct line of communication, entertainment, camera, and so much more.

Breaks are a healthy way to maintain a good balance. Consider taking a break from your phone or other devices.

You may experience eyestrain when staring at screens for long periods of time (2 or more hours). This can bring on a host of symptoms like headaches, sore necks, light sensitivity, and trouble concentrating , to name a few.

Not to mention the emotional and mental break that you can benefit from putting down your devices. The news is plagued with negativity, not to say you should not stay informed, but it isn’t helpful to just be blasted with it constantly.

There is so much to experience and appreciate outside our screens, so give yourself some self-care by pausing your device use.

7. Gratitude Practice

Having gratitude is another form of self-love. It’s important to stop and take note of what you are fortunate to have.

It can be difficult to see this at times, so it may help if you write the things you are thankful for. For example: your health, a job, family and friends who love and support you, hobbies that bring you joy, pets that give you endless cuddles, or not having to worry about where your next meal is coming from.

We all have things we can be grateful for no matter how big or small. It’s okay to strive for more, but you may be surprised at how much you already have when you stop and take notice of them.

A positive mindset can make a big difference when you shift your focus to what you do have rather than what you don’t. Appreciation for yourself exudes positivity and can have a contagious effect on others, in the best way possible.

Thanking yourself for what you have accomplished and have is an easy way to practice self-love on Valentine’s Day.

8. Exercise as Self-Care

Your body was made to move. Exercising, stretching, and other forms of movement are another way of thanking your body for all the good it does for you.

Your body needs maintenance if you want it to continue to perform well. Exercise is one of the best ways to do that.

Some ways to give yourself some love in the form of exercise could be a heart-opening yoga flow, heart-healthy cardiovascular HIIT, deep stretching to bring attention to areas of your body you don’t normally move often, or even going on a brisk walk.

Whatever your choosen form of exercise, pick something physical that brings you joy.

Conclusion

Valentine’s Day is typically for couples, but what if you were to direct some, if not all, of that attention to yourself this year? There are many ways to express self-love on Valentines’ Day.

Some forms of that include:

1. Mindful Morning Routine
2. Connection with Nature
3. Nurture Your Passions
4. Quality Time Alone
5. Mindful Eating
6. Digital Detox
7. Gratitude Practice
8. Exercise as Self-Care

You don’t need to reserve time for self-love solely on Valentine’s Day. Whenever you have a break or ability to step away, try one of these ideas to express love to yourself.

What are your favorite self-love rituals? Have you had a particular experience that left you feeling greater appreciation for yourself?