Celebrate A Self-Love Valentine's Day

Regardless of whether you're loved up or single, it's essential for your wellbeing to show a little extra love on St Valentine's Day. The special day that's devoted to amour is the perfect time to celebrate self-love, and to upgrade your personal boundaries and priorities.

Although prioritising self-care may sound somewhat self-indulgent, it's absolutely fundamental if you want to be emotionally healthy and happy.

Not sure how to celebrate your awesomeness on Valentine's Day? Just follow our practical steps...

Prioritise You

The most important relationship you have, is the one you have with yourself. This love relationship forms the foundation on which to build meaningful and lasting connections with loved ones and other people.

Self-love teaches you how to relate to yourself, how to better understand your behaviours and actions, and how to be at peace. It also influences your choice in relationships, how you cope with situations and problems, and the way in which you interact with others. When you make self-love a priority, you exude self-esteem and self-confidence, and show others that you know your worth.

Accept your feelings

How you feel, at any given moment, impacts on all of your life experiences and their quality. When you're feeling sad or overwhelmed, it's difficult to enjoy the things that ordinarily make you happy.

It's important to recognise what's triggering your emotions and to accept how you feel. Close your eyes and take a moment to sit with your feelings. It can be helpful to scan your body to pinpoint where the feelings reside. Take responsibility by acknowledging whatever thought or memory the feelings bring up for you.

To understand your feelings and emotions more deeply, be open to starting a dialogue with your Higher Self. Softly ask yourself “what's causing the feeling?” and be patient for the answer. You may intuitively ‘know' what's at the heart of the matter, or words and images may suddenly pop into your mind to provide enlightenment.

You can use this simple self-love exercise to identify painful feelings that linger, and to help you maintain healthy and balanced emotions.

Practice kindness

To lower stress and anxiety, get into the healthy habit of practicing self-kindness. Speak to yourself with gentle words that promote positivity. Let go of self-critical thinking, and learn to practice self-compassion to build up an inner sense of safety. It will also make you feel like you have more control over your life.

Another benefit of lowering your stress levels and being kind to yourself is that you'll experience a boost of dopamine, oxytocin and serotonin, which are commonly known as the 'happy hormones'.

Elevate your emotional state

Investing quality time in self-loving practices is an excellent way to elevate your emotional state and wellbeing. When you're in tune with your emotional needs, your empathetic skills turn up a notch and you radiate compassion.

Feeling good about yourself will naturally motivate you to cultivate meaningful connections, and to spread a little love wherever you go. Being switched on to how loved ones are feeling will enable you to make a positive impact on all of your relationships, whether they are romantic, platonic or familial.

Learn to disconnect

Being in a constant state of ‘doing' doesn't benefit your happiness or wellbeing at all. But shifting from ‘doing' to ‘being' allows you to be present, and more fully engaged and aware of your experiences.

Make it a self-love habit to regularly disconnect from the busyness of life, by taking time out to smell the roses. As little as 10 minutes a day of meditation practice or quiet contemplation can help you reconnect with yourself, and appreciate what really matters.

Connect with nature

Connecting to nature, via walking or hiking in a beautiful forest or woodlands, or taking a stroll on a beach has the power to calm the nervous system and make you feel instantly grounded. The pleasurable relaxing and rejuvenating self-love experience works wonders on psychological and emotional wellbeing too.

Visit a favourite place in nature, and practice mindfulness. Close your eyes and tune into the sounds that surround you. Notice how the fresh air caresses your skin, and how peaceful you feel within. Take a deep breath and let go of any stress. Feel yourself reenergised with each breath that you take.

Do something you love

Engaging in activities that you enjoy is a no-brainer. To boost your energy and mood, simply schedule time to go and do whatever fills you with joy.

If you love to express your creativity, make a Valentine's Day self-love date to write, draw or paint, to play or listen to music, or to conjure up delicious treats in the kitchen. An indulgent pampering session may be exactly what you need, if you're feeling lacklustre or out of sorts. Spending quality time on a hobby that you're passionate about will also do you good.

If you're on a spiritual quest, connecting with a friendly reader on Psychic Network can provide you with valuable insights about how you can experience greater joy and happiness in your life. An experienced psychic reader will also be able to look into your love life, and to tell you what your destiny has in store!