Sadness isn’t mandated if your circumstances don’t match the ‘perfect’ holiday definition. Get 4 best self-care tips to be happy on Valentine’s Day!
I remember celebrating Valentine’s Day when I was a young child. Simple Valentine’s boxes, tiny cards, and exciting pieces of candy. Plus, my favorite, grandma’s cupcakes topped with pink frosting and red candy.
On the other hand, Valentine’s Day seems so complicated as adults sometimes. It only feels perfect for amorous lovers, the happily married, or families with young children.
But, what if your current circumstances don’t match the ‘perfect’ Valentine’s Day set-up?
Does it mandate unhappiness? Must you miss out on the celebration?
Absolutely not!
Best Self-care Tips to Be Happy on Valentine’s Day
But, you may need to take a new approach to how you treat yourself. Here are my 4 best tips for proper self-care.
One of the first ways to be happy while you celebrate heart day; be your own valentine.
Say kind things to yourself! We are our own worst enemies. Be nice to you. You’ll thank yourself.
Focus on Truths
Another tip is to focus on things that are true.
So, first, remember you are loved. Not just by your family or friends.
As a believer, God created you and loves you more than you can possibly image.
We all know that, however, that truth can get lost when we’re drowning in circumstances that aren’t of our choosing.
So make it a habit to spend at least a few minutes a day reading scripture to remind yourself of what is true for you as a believer.
You can also spend time in quiet reflection or meditation. Meditation is an activity that successfully reduces anxiety. Prayer is a form of meditation and also provides peace for anxious thoughts.
God is always with us. He is pleased when we take good care of our minds and bodies.
Another way to focus on what is true is to start a gratitude list. Making a list of who or what you are grateful for provides a tangible way to see the many ways you are blessed.
A list of thanks can be impactful as you start to recognize how even little things can create volumes of gratitude.
Piggybacking on that idea, a success or reflection list can offer a glimpse of reality during difficult circumstances too. When you master a new skill, meet a goal, or cross a milestone, add it to your list.
You’ll quickly see you have a ton of successes to celebrate – even while going through struggles and hard circumstances.
Fill Up
Filling up with good things on Valentine’s Day, can help you feel good on Valentine’s Day. Literally, you can feel better physically and emotionally if you fill yourself with good things.
Grab a few minutes of exercise, go for a walk, or squeeze in an extra workout.
Even if you don’t like to exercise, today is the day to move around more than normal. Spend a few extra minutes stretching your muscles, making some yoga moves to de-stress and keep tension at bay.
You’ll also need to fill yourself with healthy foods known to be good for brain health and improve emotions. Foods like fish, seafood, beans & legumes, leafy greens, and other vegetables, olive oil (monounsaturated fat), yogurt, nuts – can be an effective way to promote mental health.
If you find cooking relaxing, you could plan a special menu with your favorite ‘time-consuming’ recipe. Create a shopping list for the ingredients.
Then, shop early so you can be excited to be home to prepare it at your leisure with the expectation of a great meal ahead.
Try to get the right amount of sleep the nights leading up to Valentine’s Day, so you’re not tired – which is a set up for volatile emotions.
Pamper yourself a little. Treat yourself to some dark chocolate, take a minute to enjoy, and savor your tea time or coffee break.
Finally, make an effort to brighten your senses. Light your favorite scented candle, listen to uplifting music, use your favorite lotion, if you enjoy flowers or nature buy a new floral arrangement or spend time in nature. Enjoy a few bites of your favorite flavors (as dessert or your meal).
Reduce the Negatives – One of the Best Self-care Tips to Be Happy
First, the obvious and probably one we should work on, even when it’s not Valentine’s Day, take a break from social media’s negative influence, the news, and knowing minute details of current events.
Stay informed, but you can catch the headlines every couple of days and still be in the know without getting bogged down in all of the negative details.
The first tips can help you with the second; turn your frown upside down.
Smile!
Do things that make you – or others smile. Can’t think of anything? Smile anyway. Smiles are contagious.
Reducing auditory stimuli is another great self-care tip to be happy. Not just the news, but little squeaks or creaks in your environment that remind you of things you haven’t finished.
Which leads me to be productive. Work on completing one task (no matter how small) to meet a goal, cross something off or your to-do list, or make your environment more pleasurable. Sometimes fixing a squeaky door or leaking faucet can make all the difference!
Yes, even on Valentine’s Day:)
Finally, a great way to reduce the negative is to create a self-care routine for special or busy days. If you suspect you won’t be able to do your normal self-care routine – or are worried you may not feel up to it – create a substitute self-care routine.
Here’s an example of a self-care routine for busy days:
- Spend a few minutes lingering in bed before you get up to flex and stretch your muscles. Roll your shoulders and rotate your neck in circles.
- Get extra ice water ready while you drink your morning tea or coffee. Busy schedules interfere with fluid intake and leave you dehydrated and feeling tired.
- Spend a couple of extra minutes doing some meal and snack prep, so you’re not tempted to grab fast food on the run.
- Even if you’re staying home, shower, get ready, and put clothes on like you’re going out.
- Replace your ‘to-do’ list with your ‘I’ve done it’ list and write down everything you’ve done with a positive note. Rested, relaxed, read a poem, etc.
- Call a family member or friend you haven’t talked to in a while.
- Focus on being kind to strangers if you get out. Smile to cashiers, food delivery people, etc.
- Plan a fun activity for the near future.
- Do a bed check at bedtime: Did something make you especially happy today? Can it be something you do more often and should be part of your normal self-care routine? Add it!
Sharing with others is another way to be happy.
The first way is surprisingly beneficial. According to research, talking to strangers like you know each other – or are even friends – can create happiness. Incredible, but it works!
Helping others can also be a way to improve happiness (whether you know them or not). Helping others by volunteering a little or a lot of your time or sharing a monetary gift will boost your mood.
Honestly, I think helping others is a beautiful way to celebrate Valentine’s Day.
On the other hand, hanging out with close friends and family is probably my favorite way to improve how I feel.
When it comes to the best self-care tips to be happy on Valentine’s Day, I think this one is most helpful because it usually creates fun or deep conversation!
In conclusion, there are many effective self-care ideas to be happy and at peace on Valentine’s day.
However, this long list’s success is that you don’t have to do all of them.
You can be happier in most cases with just one – as long as you put it into action.
Now, which one are YOU going to choose?
Hi, I’m Lisa! Thanks for visiting My Life Nurse, where we provide people who serve and take care of others with easy self-care plans and systems, wellness strategies, and scripture-based encouragement so you can stay happy, healthy and rejuvenated. I’ve found that many people struggle with caring for themselves while taking care of others, but they also feel called to serve others, so they keep working even when they’re stressed and exhausted. That’s why I combine my nursing expertise with Scripture-based teaching. Our readers love learning how to walk closer to the Lord to improve their self-care – so they can begin their journey to feel better – without feeling guilty. Be sure to grab your FREE Self-care StarTer Guide!