Be Your Own Valentine-A Practice in Self Love

Happy Valentine’s Day to all of you and a big HUG from me :).  Today I wanted to do something other than the typical Valentine stuff out there that is meant for couples.  I know not everyone has a significant other they will be sharing the big day of love with for whatever reason, and I want EVERYONE to know that no matter if you are single or in a relationship, this day is still for YOU.  Aside from the fact that first and foremost, I believe there is a God who loves us , I want to talk to you today about self love, because I believe that is so important.  You can and should be your own Valentine!  

Although I do happen to have someone to spend Valentine’s with, I’m just now wrapping up a date night with myself the night before :D.  Do you ever take yourself on a date?  Now I know that may sound incredibly silly, but we are better able to pour out love to others, when we take time to recharge our batteries and love on ourselves a bit too.  

What is so great about a date night with yourself?  (or you can refer to it as “ME” time):

• You can do whatever you want!  It’s nice to have a man to share V day with, but let’s face it- he doesn’t want to sit around and do beauty stuff, watch sappy chick flicks, and other things us girls like doing.  It’s your time where you can do whatever your girly self wants to do without having to take into consideration if your partner would enjoy it or not.  No one to answer to! A little self indulgence is good for the soul every now and then!
• Quiet time to reflect and connect with your inner spirit.  It’s good to connect with our inner selves and discover what our spirit needs right now.  Get to know YOU!
• Relaxation and time to unwind so you can recharge those batteries
• Um…Hello- You are you , which of course ROCKS!- so of course a date night with yourself is going to be awesome.

Since you are you , and we are all different, what a date night with yourself looks for you and for me may vary.  Let me just say that it doesn’t need to be Valentine’s to do this, this should be a regular thing that you do as needed.  I highly suggest it around your birthday as well, so that you can celebrate how awesome you are with a little self love.  I think it’s something we can all make time for-even if you have to get a babysitter or tell your man you are off for some “me” time.

Here are some suggestions for how to be your own Valentine, or having a “date night” with yourself:

1. It may be helpful to make a list of things you enjoy doing but don’t usually make time for.  What are some ways you can pamper yourself?  What are your needs at this moment? Don’t be afraid to be indulgent as long as it is in the budget (and once in a while I think it’s ok to splurge on yourself, as we often will do it for others but not ourselves).  Get creative!
2. I suggest starting your night (or day) out with some quiet time of meditation or reflection.  Why not light a candle and sit and think about all the things you like about yourself.  Make a list!  What makes you you, and what about YOU do you love?  If you have a hard time getting started, you can always start with kind things others say to you or about you.   You may also want to take time to forgive yourself for anything you aren’t happy with.  Part of self love is having compassion for ourselves as many of us tend to beat ourselves up over mistakes we make or shortcomings we have.  These things can be released before we make our “List of Self Love”
3. If possible , allow at least a couple of hours (distraction free) for your special ME time.

Now that you know what your soul needs and what you love about yourself, it’s time to get to it!  In case you need ideas, or are just curious as to how I pamper myself, here is a list of some things I do:

• Beauty Pamper night– I love beauty stuff and taking care of my outside, makes me feel good about myself inside.  These beauty dates usually consist of bubble baths (or essential oil baths), facial masks, exfoliating body scrubs, shaving, tweezing, dry hair treatments or sometimes a highlight/haircut, manicures/pedicures with a shade of nail polish that makes me happy, sometimes I will do a foot soak in a tub instead of a bath, etc.  One way I indulge is by buying a new beauty product for beauty night.  Beauty nights also seem to include candles, a hot cup of tea or cocoa, a warm fuzzy bathrobe and slippers, and  some type of yummy scented body washes and then body lotions for after.  I usually play some type of relaxing music or a mix cd of my favorites while in bath, and then watch tv as I do the mani/pedis or whatever.  (tonight I watched the latest episode of “The Bachelor” since the fiance really hates that show haha)
• Movie Night– Pj’s , maybe a lit candle to relax, a movie I have been dying to watch that the fiance won’t want to see, and my favorite drinks or snacks!  Sometimes I just make popcorn, but sometimes I like to splurge on calories and get a dessert I have been wanting to try or a special dinner.
• Book Night– same as movie night, but instead curling up with a good book
• Craft/Creative Night-this is where I make time to paint, knit, or work on any craft I haven’t been carving out time for.
• Wellness Night-  Kind of like beauty night, but different.  I usually do some essential oil therapies by topically applying them and also aromatherapy with them, maybe make a healthy smoothie or herb tea, do a guided meditation/relaxation dvd or some yoga, and take time to write in my journal, pray, or read positive books/quotes, etc.

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