Valentine’s Day can be a tough holiday, especially when you’re single, having a difficult time with friends, feeling disconnected from community or struggling with disordered eating. But here’s the good news: you can transform your Valentine’s Day to be a day of celebration! And here’s how:
When was the last time that you explicitly expressed how much you appreciate yourself?
I tend to externalize love and give it to other people, and I often end up forgetting about myself. A great exercise in self-love is to practice putting into words the ways in which you appreciate yourself, as you are, right now, in this moment of your life.
You could also write affirmative quotes on post-it notes and put them somewhere you can read them.
1. Write your darn self a love note.
When was the last time that you explicitly expressed how much you appreciate yourself?
I tend to externalize love and give it to other people, and I often end up forgetting about myself. A great exercise in self-love is to practice putting into words the ways in which you appreciate yourself, as you are, right now, in this moment of your life.
You could also write affirmative quotes on post-it notes and put them somewhere you can read them.
2. Remember when you were in elementary school…?
Valentine’s Day was the best day ever. In our school, we used to staple decorated paper bags with our names on them to the wall, and each kid brought a piece of candy for everyone else. What I loved about this tradition was that it wasn’t discriminating—the love was meant for and shared with everyone universally, not only exclusively with family, friends or significant others.
Which brings us to our next point…
3. Random acts of kindness.
Carry on this spirit on non-discriminating love!
Keep in mind that people receive love in different ways, and, for some, baked goods, candies or food is going to be stressful. Consider carrying around an alternative for our friends who are struggling with disordered eating, such as handmade love notes or drawings.
To continue reading this piece from our partner, Proud2BMe, click here.
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