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5 Ways to Love Yourself on Valentine’s Day and Every Day

When was the last time you bought yourself some flowers or wrote a letter to yourself? Do you appreciate yourself as much as others? Are you talking to yourself with such softness, kindness and compassion as you talk to your loved ones? And I am not talking only about some self-love acts on Valentine’s Day, but about showing yourself some love every day. Not because it’s the season of love, but because you deserve it.

It’s easy to love yourself for one day, showing yourself some love on Valentine’s Day. However, what about those days when you really need to show yourself some kindness, compassion and understanding? The days when we feel that we don’t deserve to love ourselves, are the days when we need it the most. With these five tips, you can show yourself love not only on Valentine’s Day but every day.

Two hands holding heart balloons and the sign behind is love yourself and the title on the top is 5 Ways To Love Yourself On Valentine's Day And Every Day on Journeyofsmiley blog
?: unsplash @micheile

Read also ‘5 Simple Self-Love Ideas for the Perfect Valentine’s Day

5 Ways to show yourself love on Valentine’s Day and every day

1. Do something you love – I can’t stress this enough and it is something I also talk about in the free guide 7 Keys To Self-Healing, A Trauma Survivor’s Guide. After my accident, this was one of the first pieces of advice I got from my therapist. Schedule at least one thing into your day you enjoy. Our lives are so busy, but doing at least one thing that we enjoy every day makes life not only more enjoyable but also helps us to keep positive. And this doesn’t have to be something big, extravagant or expensive.

During lockdown and my recovery, walking was often the highlight of my day. I would go for a walk and take in all the beauty around me. So, go for a walk in nature, go to the seaside or a forest, whatever you have close to you. Take deep breaths and admire what’s around us. Alternatively, you can read a book, catch up with a friend, buy yourself flowers, treat yourself to something nice. It can be anything that works for you.

2. Acknowledge your feelings – occasions such as Valentine’s Day can be hard for some people. Perhaps your relationship broke down, or you have been single for a very long time and lost hope of finding the right partner. Know that it is ok to feel sad, upset or grieve a loved one. It is ok not to be ok. Don’t blame yourself for thinking you shouldn’t feel the way you do, rather give yourself time and space to get through all the feelings. After all, you can’t heal from something you can’t feel. If you are struggling with this, know that you are not alone. That’s why I created the 7 Keys To Self-Healing, A Trauma Survivor’s Guide, where you can explore more about acknowledging your feelings and letting go.

3. Write it down – one way that helps you to deal with your thoughts and feelings is journaling. It has been proven that expressive writing can improve both our mental and physical health outcomes. Recording our thoughts and feelings helps us to recognise patterns in our behaviour and learn what actions to take. Emptying your head on paper also has the efficacy of helping you to manage stress and anxiety better. Journaling is one of the tools that is helping me in my recovery and I have been sharing about its positive effects, not only in my free guide but also in a post for the PTSD UK organisation.

Read also ‘The Answer to Most Couples’ Valentine’s Day Dilemma

4. Accept yourself – many of us may find this really hard, but how are we meant to love ourselves if we don’t accept who we are? This doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t strive to be the best we can be, it means that we accept who we are, how we were created. Cease rating and judging yourself or concerning yourself when others do so. Stop being your own biggest critic and start being your best friend. And not just for Valentine’s Day, show some love and compassion to yourself every day. Using positive affirmations may be of great benefit here. These may help you to think in a more positive manner. Accepting yourself is crucial on our journey of healing, and I explore this deeper in my guide which is free to access here.

5. Slow down and relax – in this busy world, slowing down and relaxing has become some kind of luxury. But let’s not forget that we are human beings, not human doings. Slowing down and relaxing isn’t being lazy, rest is more productive than we think. Scheduling some ‘me time’ into your day will improve your mental, physical and spiritual health. Light some candles, put some relaxing music on and have a long, hot soak with a good book and a glass of bubbly, herbal tea or hot choc to help unwind. Whether you opt for meditation, prayer, or listening to a podcast, slowing down will have a positive impact on your general well-being. And make sure you get enough sleep. Sleep is a great healer.

A pink paper in the middle with five tips how to love yourself on Valentine's Day and every day and two bunches of roses both sides, on one right and one on left side of the paper on Journeyofsmiley blog
?: unsplash @anniespratt

Read also ‘Powerful Self Care Tips for PTSD From Trauma Survivors

Fall in love with yourself and bloom

These five tips will help you to love yourself more, not only on Valentine’s Day but every day. And that’s so important. Self-love and compassion are one of the keys to healing, so no wonder I included them in the 7 Keys To Self-Healing, A Trauma Survivor’s Guide. And I want to invite you to explore more on this topic. Simply, because you deserve your own love. So, download this free guide and delve deeper into it. By loving yourself, you are showing others how to treat you. Fall in love with yourself so you can start to heal, bloom, and shine. You will glow radiantly when you love yourself! 

Free e-book 7 Keys To Self-Healing, A Trauma Survivor's Guide by Katy Parker on Journeyofsmiley blog
Get your free e-book here

So, Happy Valentine’s Day to you!

Thank you and till the next blog post,

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32 thoughts on “5 Ways to Love Yourself on Valentine’s Day and Every Day”

  1. What an amazing post! Self-care/self-love is so important all the time, but especially in certain seasons where grief and feelings of sadness are heightened. Thank you for spreading positivity!

  2. I really love this post! Especially the do something you love- I need to write that down on my weekly to do sheet… at the TOP of the page. Accepting ourselves is a difficult one…almost harder than finding journal time!

  3. This is a great reminder that we don’t have to “put off” loving and caring for ourselves, until a special occasion comes up. Thank you for the encouragement.

  4. I loved all of your tips. I need to work more towards being my own best friend. I cherish my friends and wouldn’t dream of speaking to them or criticize them the way I have caught myself doing to myself.

  5. We barely think of loving ourselves, but that is so vital for our well-being and for the people who have in our lives. Thanks for reminding us to practise self-love and self-acceptance!

  6. What I really love most about your blog is what the core values are. I have OCD and mild doses of anxiety and depression sometimes. My blog kind of journals out my daily struggles with them, but also as other fun posts as well. I’ll definitely keep an eye out for more of your posts in the future! Thanks so much for sharing! Great posts too!

    1. Whitney, thank you so much for your kind words! Feel free to subscribe to Journeyofsmiley’s blog, and I have a great new resource where you find more about self-love and overcoming life’s struggles. Thank you!

  7. Fonda @savvysouthernchic

    “But let’s not forget that we are human beings, not human doings.” I love this line! These are great self care tips.

  8. I love this so much! Self-love is one of the most important forms of love and one that is so often overlooked. Thank you so much for this post, so many people will really benefit from it!

  9. Great advice!!! We often forget to take care of and love ourselves but it’s so important that we do! I’m guilty of worrying about everyone around me and putting myself last but I am trying hard to snap out of that and focus on me more too! Thank you for this!

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