During the month of February, there is a lot of emphasis on love; you cannot go more than five minutes without seeing a heart-laden ad set to romantic jazz music. While it is important to show those around you that you love them, it is even more important to make sure you are injecting some of that love into your most important relationship: the one you have with yourself. Check out our suggestions for five ways to show yourself a little love this month:

1.      Eat good food that nourishes you, not just fills you. That junk food might feel good in the moment, but more likely than not, it can leave you feeling sluggish and unhappy later. Your body craves good food, so make sure you are eating a healthy, balanced diet. Along those same lines, make sure you are getting all of your essential vitamins and nutrients with a daily 2 oz of Strong OG! Properly nourishing for yourself is loving yourself. Additionally, if you are struggling for ideas for healthier meals, check out some of the recipes featured on our blog!

2.      Take time to decompress. To put it mildly, the last year has been a lot. As a result, a lot of us are feeling more stressed out than ever before trying to manage new developments on top of our already fast-paced everyday lives, making it that much more essential to find some downtime to recharge. Mix up a glass of Happy and read that book you have been meaning to finish, try an adult coloring book, or catch up on that super embarrassing guilty pleasure TV show you love but will never admit to watching. You do you, and if that means sitting on the edge of your seat to find out who gets a rose during the latest episode of The Bachelor, then so be it! We don’t judge.

3.      Get up and get moving! Love your body by letting it do what it is designed to do: move! Exercise is good for your body, so make sure you are giving yourself enough. Don’t be afraid to try a lot of different exercises to find what works for you. Maybe you like yoga or running or dancing or weight lifting; whatever you are into, there are resources everywhere to kickstart your workout, including online so you can safely social distance while improving your physical health. Just be sure you are listening to your body and check with your doctor before starting any kind of exercise regime; the purpose is to love yourself, not injure yourself!

4.      Log off social media. We love social media as much as the next person, but several studies have shown that spending too much time online can be bad for one’s mental health. While there are certainly benefits such as keeping in touch with loved ones, there are also very dark downsides. For example, “frequent Facebook users tend to have worse mental health than less frequent or non-users.” Sometimes this is a result of comparing our everyday lives to someone else’s highlight reel and other times it is the result of rampant misinformation. “People, especially on social media, sometimes seek out — and share — information that they already believe over the facts. Nearly 1 out of 4 people say they've shared a fake political news story, and some say they've done so on purpose. It's natural if you're a little stressed about what's real, what's not, and how potential misinformation factors into your life. The information that's shared on social media can also lead to arguments. For instance, 37% of social media users say they feel worn out by the political content they see.”[1] While staying informed about current events is necessary, there is also nothing wrong with taking a break to recharge—in fact, logging off for a bit can be crucial for mental health. Everything will still be in chaos when you return, but you can be in a better headspace to be able to absorb and process the facts after taking a break.

5.      Stop being so hard on yourself. As Amy Poehler says in her book Yes Please, “Sticking up for ourselves in the same way we would one of our friends is a hard but satisfying thing to do.”[2] We need to give ourselves a break and change our inner monologue to something positive and uplifting. Instead of focusing on where you fell short during your day, focus on your successes. For example, say you burned something while cooking dinner. It would be easy to focus on the ruined food, but try to focus on something positive about the evening instead. Was your family gathered together for the meal? Did you learn something that will help improve your cooking in the future? Maybe you used this as an opportunity to discover take out from an amazing restaurant in your city. Focus on the positive and cut yourself some slack! 

This month (and every month), take time to love yourself. Regardless of who else is around you, you are going to spend the rest of your life with yourself, so embrace the care you give to others and treat yourself with kindness and gentleness when you need it.

[1] “The Facebook Effect: How Is Social Media Impacting Your Stress Levels? – Chester County Hospital - Penn Medicine.” Chester County Hospital, Penn Medicine, 12 Mar. 2020, www.chestercountyhospital.org/news/health-eliving-blog/2020/march/how-is-social-media-impacting-your-stress-levels.

[2] Poehler, Amy. Yes Please. Dey St., an Imprint of William Morrow Publishers, 2014.