Ah, love is in the air! Or is it? This year we’re viewing Valentines’s Day a little differently, and questioning some of the mainstream traditions that are thrown at us via the media, marketers and social media alike. It doesn’t have to be all hearts and roses if you don’t want it to be, but it is a chance to declare undying love… for yourself, perhaps? Forget the potential isolation that comes with not being part of a couple on Valentine’s Day, or the soppy sentiments if they’re just not your thing- instead why not embrace a whole new approach to it all this year? Here are three ways that we’ll be doing Valentine’s differently here at Little Soap HQ- are you with us?
Love starts at home
We’re on a mission to have this become a new mantra and we hope we can count on your support! As the saying goes, charity starts at home, therefore so should love. In order to give love, you must feel love and what better place to start than with yourself? This year, instead of accepting the ideal that the media is trying to sell us (being part of a happy couple is the only way to spend Valentine’s…) we think its time to make a stand!
Spend some time on YOU. Make time for YOU. Learn to love YOU.
You are the most amazing person you have ever met. You have so much potential and there are so many opportunities waiting for you if you let yourself believe. You deserve some TLC- in whatever form means the most to you. Be it spa day, rest day or trekking up a mountain day- just do something for YOU this weekend. Forget trying to please anyone else, just be content in the knowledge that the first person you need to please is YOU and the rest can wait.
Take action: go back to basics and remember what makes you happy. Light a candle, breath in the sweet scents and spend some time relaxing in the tub. Just 20 minutes is enough to remind yourself how special you really are.
Treasure the important relationships
Now you know you need to work on that relationship with yourself, the next step is to remember the importance of the other vital relationships in your life: friends. Not feeling part of a community or having a strong support network is actually one of the most cited reasons for anxiety, low mood and depression amongst adults. These feelings can be compounded by the constant barrage of romantic cliches we’re faced each year on Valentine’s- and to this we say, enough! This weekend, surround yourself with the people who make you smile, who appreciate you and who make you feel accepted and loved. These are the people deserving and worthy of your attention!
Take action: book a weekend away with your special people. Check out our recent post on beautiful spa stays here.
It’s not just one day…
What if we told you that practising self care and surrounding yourself with people who make you happy doesn’t have to just be for one day each year? What if we took these values and replaced the corny sentiments every single day?
Treasure yourself. Treasure your time alone, and with friends. Build a community around yourself that will stand up to the pressures and stresses that you face each day. Be the person your friends can rely on when they need you, because you know, in turn, they have your back too. Practise self care on a regular basis because you’re worth it, and the people you choose to spend time with know it too.
Take action: set a reminder on your phone to do something nice for yourself. Do it now!
