Chocolates, champagne and roses, just some of the things you may associate with Valentine’s Day and just under two-thirds of Brits will be spending money on their loved ones around 14 February.
However, not everyone though is in a relationship and one in five Brits won’t be celebrating the day in any form1.
Whatever your relationship status, Sue Burke, occupational health manager at BHSF, feels it’s important to take care of your mental health around 14 February.
“Valentine’s Day should be all about celebrating togetherness and the love people have for one another. However it can also be a day that reminds people about their own feelings of loneliness or lack of connections with other people.
“Admittedly there are times where I feel the day is over commercialised and if people are in a relationship or people are spending time with their families, they should say they love them every day.
“Whether you are single or in a loving relationship, practising self-love is a key part of staying mentally well and should never be underestimated.”
Here are Sue’s top five tips on how to show yourself some self-love:
- Spoil yourself – indulge in things that create passion and excitement in your life. Whatever form that activity takes, make sure you set valuable time aside for yourself.
- Be kind to your body – drink plenty of water, eat healthy foods and exercise. Treat yourself in a way that reflects someone that really loves and cares about themselves.
- Create and repeat positive mantras – whenever negative thoughts begin to creep in, take a step back and think about positive and loving messages. Mantras may be: ‘I love and always accept myself’ or ‘I am valuable.’
- Comparison is a killer to self-love – realise that you can’t compare your life to someone else’s because no matter how well you know them, you never know how they feel or how they perceive their life. Instead, spend your time and energy to nourish and build your path to success.
- Take small steps to create the life you long for – turning those dreams into reality is to honour and care for yourself. By taking actions every day, you can prove that you’re worthy of living the life you desire.
