Valentine’s day is widely known to be a holiday for the lovers.  For some people, this holiday can be very exciting for those who love to give to their partners and spend time together.  For others, it can feel overwhelming with the pressure to go all out for their partner, or feeling down for not having a partner to spend that time with.  No matter what your relationship status is, Valentine’s day is also the perfect day to show yourself some love!  Self-love benefits our mental health and well-being, while increasing compassion, acceptance, and confidence in ourselves.  You are deserving of love, so treat yourself this Valentine’s day even if you are treating someone else as well.

Here are some ways to treat yourself with love:

• Write your own Valentine’s day card- what do you love about yourself?  The same way you would write a letter to a romantic partner, give that same energy to you.  Think of what you appreciate about yourself, gratitude, and ways you can practice more self-love this year.   
• Items you enjoy- What is a treat to you?  Indulge in some delicious chocolates, buy flowers, get a latte, take yourself out to eat.  Maybe there’s a new pair of jeans you’ve been eyeing for a while, or a skincare product that you’ve been wanting to try.  It can also be an item that holds value or means something to you, like a candle with your favorite sent from childhood or a canvas painting that reminds you of your favorite vacation.    
• Self-care – block out some time in your day to take care of your well-being.  Self-care looks different for everyone, as people find different things to be relaxing.  This can look like watching your favorite TV show, stretching/moving your body, face mask and a hot bath, spending time with friends, or spending time with a pet.  What are some things you don’t get to do often?  Like a day at the spa, going shopping or reading a book at your local bookstore.  Make a goal for yourself not only to do this on Valentine’s day, but more often during the year.  Self-care is not only a way to love yourself, but to take care of your mind and body and deal with everyday stress. 
• Self-affirmations- affirmations are a great way to uplift yourself when our mind feels negative.  It challenges us to think differently and change our mindset from negative to neutral/positive.  You can include affirmations in your Valentine’s card, or just have a separate list of what you’d like to practice.  They can be a few sentences, or short and simple “I got this, I am enough”.  

There can be other ways to love yourself this Valentine’s Day, and these were some examples to try out.  Valentine’s Day doesn’t always have to be about going all out for someone else, it can be a time to go all out for ourselves.  Allow yourself to feel uplifted and full of love, because you deserve it!