It’s that time of year when all you see are pink hearts, red roses and chocolates in fancy boxes. Whether you’re celebrating with a special someone or not, Valentine’s day can still be a meaningful holiday, since one of the most powerful ways you can celebrate Valentine's day is by celebrating you! Hear me out, Valentine's day is a day of love right? When you pour in to yourself with the same effort that you give to other people, you are not only becoming the 2.0 version of yourself, but you're also improving the relationships and projects you're involved in, since you're bringing the best of yourself to the game. Here's three ways you can practice self-love in the everyday moments.
R.E.S.P.E.C.T.
Recently when friends have made self-deprecating comments about themselves, I've been getting into the habit of telling them "Don't talk about my friend like that!" It's easy to defend others when you hear them talking themselves down. But what if you are the target of your own vicious words? I caught myself just today thinking, and I quote "I hope someone just throws me into a ditch and buries me alive." I know, rude and overdramatic much? As I was thinking that though, another thought interrupted my internal monologue and said "Don't talk about yourself like that!" And it hit me. How could I be so outspoken about shielding others from their own insults, but then at the same time it's absolutely acceptable for me to degrade myself? Be kind to yourself. It's time to treat yourself with the same respect and affection you have for the ones around you.
Be Loud, Be Proud
With a new year and a new decade before us, we may have goals we want to accomplish and dreams we want to pursue. For me personally, one of my goals was to have healthy, glowing skin. For the past 10 years, I've struggled with acne which covered my face especially. Though I reminded myself that I was beautiful and my worth does not come from the outside, but from my values, personality, and the way I treated other people, it still hurt to look in the mirror at times. There would be times when I would be so proud of the way my skin was healing, but then that same day someone would call me out for all the scarring that was left behind on my cheeks. In those moments, when I could tearfully agree with them, I chose to remind myself of how far I've come instead. The person who made that comment obviously did not know what my skin looked like a year ago. But I remember. And I choose to be proud instead of the effort I had to put in to get this far. When you look at your own goals and see the progress you've made, don't let anybody, especially your own mind, take away from that. Appreciate the moment, and be proud of where you are in your glow-up.
Laugh like you're the best stand-up comic in the room
Have you been in one of those unfortunate situations where the only two reactions you have is to either laugh or cry? Well, I'm here to tell you, laugh so loud like it's a war cry. Is the humidity making your hair double in size? Look in the mirror, laugh and remind yourself you're a trendsetter so you can rock that style. Did your clumsy self just spill your lunch all over your shoes? Tell yourself "Time to go shopping for some new kicks!" and start cleaning. Use humor to reframe a stressful situation, so your day doesn't start resembling a Victorian tragedy. By finding the funny in the midst of the bad, your mistakes won't seem as catastrophic. As Mariah Lidey wrote, "The ability to have a sense of humor about our actions, our mistakes and our quirks is another form of expressing self-acceptance."
So this Valentine’s Day 2020, here’s to accepting our flaws, embracing our individuality, and loving ourselves fiercely!