Self-Love this Valentine’s Day

By Dr. Julie Kennedy DNP, MBA, APRN, FNP-C, IINHC

“How you love yourself is how you teach others to love you.” -Rupi Kaur

At the end of the 5th century, Pope Gelasius declared February 14 St. Valentine’s Day (Real Simple, 2023). In the past, it was more of a religious holiday than a romantic one. Evidence shows that self-love can have a positive impact on mental health, self-esteem, and overall life-satisfaction (Asghar, 2022). Asghar (2022) goes on to discuss five ways that we can practice self-love:

  1. Avoid negative self-talk
  2. Create personal rituals
  3. Set healthy boundaries
  4. Be compassionate towards yourself
  5. Make space for self-reflection

Self-love has been a life-long journey for me. But, as an adult, I quickly realized the importance of loving myself in order to love others in a healthy way. One aspect of self-love that I teach my clients is the positive impact of self-care. Here are some tips to incorporate self-care daily:

  1. Do something that takes 10-15 minutes or less.
  2. Make a list of things that bring you joy and pick one to do daily.
  3. Self-care can be free or almost free.
  4. Incorporate self-care time that is done alone for reflection and space.
  5. Engage in a variety of self-care activities that encompass all aspects of health-spiritual, mental, physical, and social.

This Valentine’s Day be sure to incorporate some activities of self-love. Your health will thank you!

Dr. Julie Kennedy

References

Asghar, A. (2022). The science of self-love: The evidence-based benefits of loving yourself. Ness Labs. https://nesslabs.com/self-love

Real Simple Editors (2023, January 6). The history of Valentine’s Day, and why we celebrate it. https://www.realsimple.com/holidays-entertaining/holidays/valentines-day/history-of-valentines-day