For some people, the day of Saint Valentine’s is one filled with love, romance, passion and joy, however for a lot of other people, such as myself and maybe you too, it is something we dread.
Whether it’s because we haven’t yet found love and spend the day surrounded by reminders, or whether we feel that, although we’ve found the right person, our love just isn’t enough. Valentine’s Day is often a very difficult day for those suffering from mental health issues.
For this reason, I am inviting you.
I am inviting you to make Valentine’s Day something special for every single person. How do we do this? First of all, we scrap the notion that this day is solely for giving love to others, it is not! It is also for giving love to YOURSELF!
That’s right, this year I would like you to join me in a self-caring, self-loving, and wholly selfish Valentine’s Day!
As you open your eyes to this new day and/or read this article, I would like you to take a deep breath. Through your nose, filling up every corner of your lungs until it feels like you’re about to pop! Then, open your mouth just a little, and let the air trickle from your lips like a gentle waterfall. With it, I’d like you to let out as many anxieties or self-doubts that you possibly can.
If getting up and out of bed or wherever you are is too much, try just sitting in or on top of the bed. Don’t lean against the pillows, I’d like you to sit upright if you can. Take a moment, take some breaths and, if and when you feel ready, get up.
Your goal today is to treat yourself and your body as though it were that of your soulmate or child. If you can’t wash properly, try to just use baby wipes to freshen up a little. If you find at any point during the day that something is too much for you, try to do something smaller.
Key Tasks:
> Eat something today, even just a small thing
> Drink water, your body needs hydration!
> Move a little, even just from one room to another
> Keep warm, if you’re feeling cold then add more layers!
> Talk to someone, even if all you do is say “Hey”, who knows you might start a conversation!
I wanted this article to be simple. I didn’t want to tell you to go outside, or eat 3 full meals today, or do some meditation, because although that is self care, it is not all that self care is.
Self Care, at its core, is taking care of your basic human needs. Food, Water, Rest, Warmth, Socialisation….. If all you do today is take care of your basic needs then WELL DONE, that’s all I wanted you to do today.
Let’s make this day a good day for everyone, regardless of relationship status.
