Did you know that February 13 (the day before Valentine's Day) is National Self Love Day? I just learned that this year and I really love the concept. We have a day for everyone else in our lives, it makes sense that we should also have a day to focus on ourselves.
The fact that it is the day before Valentine's Day is also significant. The idea is that after Self-Love day your feeling of being loved will be completely full so that on Valentine's Day you won't feel like you need to have external validation. If you're single, this means you hopefully won't feel left out, and if you're in a relationship you won't have such high expectations that you get disappointed.
What I don't like about self-love day, is the implication that the only way to show self-love is to spend a bunch of money on fancy sheet masks and wine. Or suggestions that imply that everyone has unlimited funds and vacation days with ideas like "spend the day at the spa" or "fly to bora bora." Unfortunately, self-love day is on a Wednesday (*eye roll*) so most people are spending the majority of their day at the office so a spa day isn't really in the cards.
So, I decided to come up with some practical ways to celebrate self-love day this year. No sheet masks required. Here are five practical things you can do this year to celebrate self-love day:
1) Schedule all of your doctors appointments. Okay I get it, this is boring and not fun, but if you have been putting off making a dentist appointment or dermatologist appointment or finding a therapist now is the time to do it. You've probably had that nagging voice in the back of your head telling you to get on this but trust me, you will feel so much better having all of these scheduled and knowing that you are putting your health first.
2) Sign up for a class. This could be a class that furthers your professional career, a new hobby that you've been wanting to take up, or a yoga class that you've been telling yourself you need to try. It's so important to learn and try new things no matter how old you are. Learning or trying something new will make you feel amazing!
3) Set up auto-savings. If you already set aside money into your savings account every month then you're doing great. If not, there's no better time to start than now. Even if you're just setting aside $50 a month, you are building a habit and creating a safety net. Setting up auto-savings will make this habit even easier.
4) Start a gratitude journal. When is the last time you thought about the things you are grateful for? I bet there are a lot of things in your life that you take for granted. You family, your health, your home, your friends. Yes, there is always going to be someone who has more or something better out there. However, taking a few minutes a day to acknowledge and jot down the amazing things and people you have in your life will shift your mindset toward gratitude and make you much happier.
5) Do something frivolous. Finally, a fun idea! Eat a cupcake, do a puzzle, go to the movies, buy a new outfit, get a pedicure, whatever. Treat yourself a little bit and most importantly, don't feel guilty about it afterwards.
