Healthy Ways to Love Yourself ⋆ Real Housemoms

Valentine’s Day is one of those holidays that you either love or hate. I feel like the majority of people hate it. It’s been commercialized like so many other holidays. Buy this. Buy that. Spoil your kids with red and pink candy. Spoil your spouse with overly priced cards and an expensive dinner.

And then on top of that, what about those who just haven’t quite found love? Or maybe youre a military spouse and your loved one isn’t able to be with you. You’re all of a sudden in this category of people who don’t really get to celebrate Valentine’s Day. What a bummer! Last year, I was in that category while my wife was away for the Air Force, and let me tell you, it was not my favorite day. Despite getting to take my son out on a date, it just wasn’t the same.

So because I’ve been in that position, I’ve come up with ways to show yourself some love. I’m not talking about going out on a date with Ben & Jerry or drowning your sorrows in a bottle of whiskey. Face it, those types of “love” are pretty much one-night-stands. The satisfaction and enjoyment is long gone before the sun even comes up.

So let’s talk about things you can do to show yourself some HEALTHY love!

Lose Yourself In a Good Book. Head to the bookstore and pick up a book that you’ve been wanting to read, and let yourself get lost. I love to read for hours and hours on end, but I always feel like I’m not allowed to because of everything else I need to do. Give yourself permission to ignore the dishes and laundry and just read!

Take a Bubble Bath. This is one of my favorite ways to show myself some love. Run a hot bubbly bath and just soak the pain (emotional or physical!) pain away. Stay in as long as you want. Maybe take your book into the bath with you with a glass of wine. (just be careful that you don’t fall asleep while reading and drop it in the water!!) Light some yummy-smelling candles. Just get relaxed!

Make Yourself a DIY Beauty Product. There are so many ideas on Pinterest for products you can make to pamper yourself. Lip balms, body butters, scrubs. You name it. They can all be made in your own home. I actually made a super simple, 3 ingredient Grapefruit scrub that’s perfect for your skin. I love it for before I shave my legs or throughout the day after washing my hands. It smells wonderful and the grapefruit oil I use is actually a mood-booster, so it’s perfect for when I may feel a little down.

Here’s how I made it:

2 cups sugar in the raw (I use raw sugar as opposed to basic table sugar because your body absorbs anything you put on it, and I prefer more natural ingredients in my body. Plus it’s more coarse and able to really scrub at that dry skin)
1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
10 drops grapefruit essential oil (or any scent of your liking)
5 drops food coloring (optional)

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Mix until all the sugar is coated in oil. Store in an air-tight jar for up to a month.

Enjoy a Quality Treat. I’m talking a single-serving quality dessert. Something that is worth the calories. Maybe something from a bakery that you’ve wanted to try. Or maybe a couple pieces of quality dark chocolate with a glass of wine or a cocktail of your choice. The key here is to not give yourself the option of a large portion. In a state of sadness, it’s easy to eat your emotions. Most of the time, we’re completely satisfied after one serving but don’t allow ourselves to realize that because we often just keep going if more is available to us.

So this Valentine’s Day or ANY day, remember to give yourself some love. Yes, it’s important to love those around us, but we’ve got to remember to take care of ourselves at the same time. Showing ourselves love is one of the most important things we can do. It is a great reminder that we are worth all the pampering and love too!