Five Ways to Love Yourself Better This Valentine’s Day
by Dr. Amy Mercovich
Valentine’s Day “season” is upon us and it is a time to show some love. I offer you these ways to show love better to yourself. And, you’ll see as you scroll down through this post just how important the action of “love yourself” is to me. (Hint: check out the photo at the bottom of this post)
1.Consider letting go…
Let go of stress, of grudges, of too many “to do” lists, of self-criticism, of fear, of caring too much about stupid things (for example, what you LOOK like or what model car you drive), of trying to be super mom/dad… there are so many things from which to choose to let go! Pick one or more and let them go. What a great expression of self-love.
2. Feed yourself some love.
Maybe this looks like letting yourself have a treat that you have wanted yet denied yourself. More likely, a loving act to your body and mind would be to get some better nutrients into your body (my kids and hubby always laugh whenever the word “nutrients” comes up because of their obsession with Nacho Libre and a silly scene in that movie).
Fewer chips and pizzas and more berries and leafy green things? Maybe. You probably know what you need to do. Here is your loving nudge to put something healthier into your mouth at least once a day. Start small. It’s ok. You are doing the best you can.
3. Fix one thing.
As a chiropractor, I lovingly suggest that your Posture could be the one thing you work on fixing. Throw those shoulders back and lift your chin up to see what is happening IRL (for those of you over 40 like me, that means “in real life”). Hold your phone up in front of your face. Check out my YouTube Channel for short videos about posture (YouTube channel name is “Dr. Amy Mercovich Posture and Health TV”).
Get your spine adjusted to help your nervous system keep your body functioning optimally. Hopefully, you know by now that your nervous system is the master controller of every system of your body and that it lives inside your spine!
Beyond posture and your spine, what else could you fix?
How about your sleep? Good sleep makes everything better. Go to bed earlier. Try natural sleep aids such as melatonin, 5-HTP, and herbs. Read or listen to something not-too-exciting to help you drift off to slumber.
How about fixing something in your environment that you have gotten used to being broken? It feels amazing to fix it and cross it off your list of things to do.
Repair a relationship? You don’t have to fix everything all at once yet maybe you could tell someone you love them even though you may not agree on much or have past hurts that still exist. An expression of love could be the start of the healing.
4. Protect your space.
It’s an act of love to keep your personal space safe. This could mean telling someone to stop touching you. This could mean saying no to someone or an organization that wants too much of your time. This could even mean de-cluttering a room or closet to preserve your physical space.
Your space is your own and you can’t count on others being respectful of it. Don’t be afraid to stand up for yourself and your personal space. It feels good!
5. Appreciate everything.
Appreciate everything about yourself, foibles, quirks, and all. You are an amazing creature and people love you just as you are.
Appreciate your home, the environment, and the world. They provide us with what we need to be warm, fed, and safe.
Appreciate your partner and family. They keep you company and make you feel loved.
Appreciate your freedom.
Appreciate your time. We get this one, precious life and it really stinks to feel like you don’t have ownership of your own time. Find a way to reclaim some time for yourself. And, if you don’t know which end is up because you have small children and many jobs, then hang in there! I promise you will one day get some of your time back.
In the meantime, take the moments that you can. Take turns trading off “kid duty” time with your partner or a friend for “me time” even if it’s just an uninterrupted shower or trip to the grocery store alone. You’ve got this!