Love Yourself This Valentine's Day: 7 Ideas To Sneak in Self Care Everyday

I often remind myself, as well as friends, audiences, and clients, that self-care is not selfish. I completely agree, and I challenge you to prioritize yourself to refuel and recharge so you can be your best. There may be no better time than Valentine's Day to refocus on your self-care routine and plan, using simple daily practices to care for yourself.

Proactively valuing and loving yourself through self-care, and more importantly, you also demonstrate to others that you care to show up at your very best for them, personally and professionally. Consistent self-care sustains our energy and motivation to keep moving through life successfully, and it is a resilience tool that helps us through hard times.

Self-care is highly personal and can vary for each person. Self-care is anything you do to take care of yourself to stay physically, mentally, and emotionally well. Research shows that self-care promotes positive health, including greater resilience, longer life, and improved stress management. Try several of the ideas below to prioritize self-care. 

1. Start With The Simple and Easy: To make a positive change in your life, it must be easy to adopt. Try drinking a full glass of water with every meal; do a morning stretch while making coffee; sit in the sun for 5–10 minutes a day (no productivity allowed); or put your phone on Do Not Disturb for 20 minutes and do what YOU want or need to do.

2. A Solo Date: Treat yourself to a date you would genuinely enjoy, such as visiting a museum or art gallery, seeing a movie, sipping your favorite coffee at the local cafe, or trying a new restaurant. 

3. Get Moving: The great news is that exercise acts as a natural stress reliever and a healthy diversion from daily pressures, allowing the mind to clear, improve focus, and boosts your mood. Engage in an activity that works for you, whether it's a gentle yoga session, a walk in nature, or a bike ride. 

4. Schedule A Self-Care Appointment: I am a firm believer that if a priority is not scheduled, it will not happen! Just as you block out specific, non-negotiable time slots in your calendar for work meetings or a doctor's visit, do the same for self-care sessions. This can be 20 minutes each morning (or evening) or an hour on a weekend. Protect this time; it is reserved for you. 

   

5. Identify Your Non-Negotiables: Determine the few activities that have the greatest positive impact on your mental, emotional, or physical well-being, such as getting 7-8 hours of quality sleep, Saturday date night,  daily journaling, or taking an evening stroll. Prioritize these above almost everything else to maintain your self-love focus.

6. Integrate Self-Care into Daily Routines: Look for opportunities to turn necessary activities into moments of self-care. For example, use your shower time for mindfulness, or listen to an audiobook while doing chores.

7. Tiny But Impactful: Find daily acts of self-care that say, “I value myself” and “I want to be my best self.”  A small way to do this is to put your phone down and be fully present.  Or find a quiet space to place your hand on your heart and take 5 slow breaths to reset. Or make one promise to yourself—and keep it

I need to recognize and address any guilt that may keep you from achieving your self-care goals, as many people feel guilty about taking time for themselves. Guilt be gone! Place yourself at the top of your priority list and constantly remind yourself that self-care is not selfish. It is a necessary practice that allows you to be more present and effective in other areas of your life. Let prioritizing self-care be a sign that you value being your best self and want to offer your best to the world.