Reason Number 7 why I’m making self-care a priority in my life:

Self-Care is love.

 

Love is defined as an intense feeling of deep affection.  Love is more than a feeling, it’s an action.

 

The very premise of self-care is love. For me, self-care involves taking the much needed time to love myself. The time to check in with myself and say, “Hey girl, how are you really doing? Do you need anything?  Let’s take a moment to regroup and recharge.” This quality time is so critical in my continual pursuit of personal wellness.

 

We all experience love and self-care differently.  Dr. Gary Chapman is known for his work on the 5 Love Languages.  He believes that we can express and experience love in five different ways.  Those ways are:

• Quality Time
• Receiving Gifts
• Words of Affirmation
• Acts of Service
• Physical Touch

By learning your love language, it might help clarify which self-care acts really and truly feel like love to you.

 

By completing self-care acts no matter how complex or simple they are, I am not only showing, but telling myself “I love you.”

 

When was the last time you told yourself “I love you?”

 

Today, we celebrate Valentine’s Day where other’s love is measured through gifts, or dinners or other acts. I want to encourage you to love yourself through self-care. Take that bath you’ve wanted to take. Go for a walk and enjoy your scenery. Paint your nails. Get that massage. Go to the gym. Drink water. Try something new. Treat yourself to something special.  Do something! Whether you have a partner or not, you can still experience love today through self-care.

 

The more you practice self-care the more you’ll fall in love with it.

 

What will you do today to practice self-care?