How Well Are You Loving Yourself? 25 Ways to Spend Time Loving YOU

Happy February, the month that celebrates LOVE! Valentine’s Day usually makes us think about romantic love. But what if YOU are the greatest love of your life? What if YOU are your Valentine? This month I challenge you to consider,

How well are you loving yourself?

It’s so easy to place our own needs aside, especially when we are busy taking care of others and dealing with the demands of life. We all know the airplane speech where the flight attendant advises us to put our own oxygen mask on before assisting others. But really, have you thought about how important it is to do this in life? If we don’t, the stress will eventually take its toll on the body and serious conditions like adrenal fatigue, illness, and imbalance can occur. Once the body is compromised, it takes a whole lot of energy to try to bring it back to balance. So the key is to care for ourselves NOW to ensure that we restore and recharge.

So let’s get real for a moment. Take a pause, breathe deeply, and ask the following question:

Where in your life are you not being true to yourself and your needs?  

Think about it. Maybe you are not sleeping enough. Maybe you are not eating well or even regularly. Are you spending way too much time on facebook or watching TV? Are you in a negative pattern of complaining? How’s your sugar or junk food intake? Have you not given your inner child a chance to play lately because it’s been all work, work, work? Have you been keeping healthy boundaries and allowing yourself to say NO to things that drain you?

When we take the time to become aware of how we are treating ourselves, we open up to the opportunity to make some changes. Even a tiny shift can affect great change and increase the quality of life.

Here are 25 Ways to nurture and love on yourself:

1. Take a bath.  Calgon, take me away!  Light some candles, play some soft music (or just enjoy the silence), add some Epsom salt and some lavender, and enjoy the time alone. Mmmm.
2. Sit down and enjoy a hot cup of tea (or cocoa) and actually drink it while it’s still hot.
3. Take a walk out in nature without the cell phone, even just around the block.  Breathe deeply and connect with nature.
4. Garden…get your hands in the dirt and help something grow.
5. Dance.  Yep, put some music on and dance it out.
6. Get your nails done. You can enjoy looking at them each time you look at your hands.
7. Get quiet and breathe.  Call it meditation or contemplation, but take some time to slow down and drop into the quiet within.
8. Cook a delicious meal that you love and give yourself time to eat it without rushing.
9. Call that friend you keep meaning to call and connect with.
10. Drink more water.  Your whole body will do the happy dance.
11. Do something creative, like color, paint, or craft.  Tapping into our creativity allows energy to move.
12. Take a nap.  Even closing your eyes for a short amount of time can make a huge difference.
13. Declare a pajama day, curl up on the couch and watch movies with popcorn.
14. Spend some quiet time in prayer.  Connect with something greater than the chaos around you.
15. Take a yoga class. Breathe, flow and take some time to center.
16. Sing at the top of your lungs.  The vibrations travel through the bones and help shift the wave patterns in the brain.
17. Play a game with some friends and laugh.  Laughter heals!
18. Get some exercise.  Not only is it good for you, but it releases those endorphins and helps you to feel more positive.
19. Write in your journal, daydream, and open up to the idea that life is full of possibilities.
20. Buy yourself some flowers, a plant, or some other “gift” that makes you smile when you look at it.
21. Take a savasana.  Give yourself 10 minutes to just lay still and let go (this will change your life, I promise!).
22. SLEEP.  Give yourself the gift of turning off the electronic equipment at least 2 hours before bedtime.  Do your best to get your system to calm down so that you can let go and actually sleep.
23. Ask for help!  Let go of the idea that you have to do everything all by yourself.  Ask, and when the help arrives, accept it with a smile.
24. Start your day with alone time.  When you wake up, do not look at your texts or emails until you take time for yourself.  Breathe deeply, set some intentions for the day, and maybe make a gratitude list.  Fill your tank before you let other people start pulling your attention.
25. Get a massage.  If time or money isn’t an option, then give yourself a massage.  Get some great smelling lotion or oil (coconut works well too!) and spend some time working it into your muscles. Give extra attention to your feet, hands, and your neck and shoulder area. For even extra points, thank your body while you work, and tell it how grateful you are for all that it does for you on a daily basis.

I know a lot of these are common sense, but that doesn’t mean they are common practice. Pick at least one of these (or one of your own) and do it today. What are you waiting for? You are worth it, Valentine! And when you choose to make yourself a priority, you are sending a clear signal to the Universe that YOU matter. The universe will respond with that same energy.

What are some of your favorite ways to recharge and nurture yourself? I’d love to hear.