Ladies, V-Day is allll above loveeee, and not JUST the romantic kind. We are living in the age of Valentine’s, Galentine’s, AND Palentine’s! The only thing missing is a version that’s about taking care of YOU! The greatest commandment is to love your neighbor as you love yourself. Did that last part register? “As you love yourself.” If you ain’t lovin’ you, you probably aren’t loving others very well. I wanted to put together a list of REALLY good ways to love yourself – not just a bath bomb or a face mask. Honestly, these aren’t just for V-Day – they’re for every day.
1. Treat Your Body Right
Y’all know I’ve been really upping my fitness routine this year, and it’s been a game changer for both my physical strength, and my emotional strength. I don’t workout to prove my self-worth – I work out because I KNOW my self worth. Being more intentional about what I put in my body has actually made me feel a lot happier. I know it’s kinda cheesy, but it was always one of those things that I didn’t reallllly believe until I experienced it. If you’ve been in the same boat, I challenge you to just give it a shot! You’ve gotta love your bod from the inside out <3
2. Feed Your Soul
I can’t talk about loving yourself without talking about spending time with God. It’s the most loving thing you can do for yourself! It’s not glamorous. It might require getting up 20 minutes earlier. You might start and immediately find yourself thinking, “God, I don’t get this” or “it doesn’t even feel like You’re here”, and that’s OKAY. Start small, ask Him your questions, and just keep showing up. I promise you that there truly is no better way to take care of you whether it’s V-Day or ANY day.
3. Serve Someone Else
I feel like this doesn’t show up on these lists often enough! Yes, sometimes you just need a night in with a good book and some recharge time, but on the other hand, sometimes loving yourself means loving someone else. Get coffee with the girl people avoid at church. Say hi to your neighbors (like your actual neighbors!). Babysit for free so your couple friends can go on a date. When we love others, our own hearts get bigger, like when the Grinch’s heart grows three sizes!
4. Take Control of Your Mind
You know those anxious thoughts that just run rampant in your mind? Here’s a HUGE thing I’ve learned: you have a degree of control over your own thoughts. You can’t always change how you feel in the moment, but you can say NO to the mean, anxiety-producing, or ungodly thoughts that are gettin all up in your business. Take every thought captive! Here are a few practical ways I try to do that:
- Get it out. When you feel like you have a million open tabs in your mind, grab a notepad and just write it alllll down. It honestly helps me to clear my mind and to see that actually, there aren’t as many scary things as it FELT like there were when my thoughts were just floating.
- Grab a dry erase marker. I love to write reminders about my identity on my mirror, whether they’re verses, inspirational quotes, or my word of the year. They remind me that when I’m looking in the mirror, THOSE are the things I choose to think about, not the negativity.
- Be ready to change course. If you feel your mind starting to go a bad direction, have a list of things ready to refocus you, whether it’s a to-do list for the day or a song to listen to or an exercise routine to jump into. Distracting yourself for a bit isn’t always a bad thing!
I know y’all might be like…
“Dangggg Dani! Gurl u just went DEEP for a V-Day post!” 🤣 I know, I know…but you can get a list of the best bath bombs and sleeping masks with a quick Google search (and girl by all means DO IT!). I just wanted to get a little more real with y’all, because I really love you and want you to love yourself WELL <3
What would you add to this list?? Happy Valentine’s Day!
XOXO Dani