10 Ways to Treat Yourself with Love

Are you getting enough Vitamin L?

Ah yes, Vitamin L. The nutrient that our doctors never talk about, and yet so many people are deficient in.

Never heard of Vitamin L? I'm talking about LOVE! Getting sufficient amounts of Vitamin L every day (not just on Valentine's Day!) is a crucial component to staying healthy and happy.

Do you think that someone who eats the cleanest, freshest, most unprocessed, organic diet is necessarily happy if he or she is in an unfulfilling relationship? Is an athlete who exercises 6 days per week necessarily healthy if he or she doesn't love and respect him/herself?

Many people think of good health as a result of just eating healthy and exercising.

While I believe that a healthy diet and exercise are essential for living a healthy and happy life, I also believe that giving and receiving love and filling your life with supportive relationships are also very important.

Maybe you are someone who is so loving and caring toward others that you don't make yourself a priority.  You focus so much on outward relationships that you don't make the time or put in the effort to look inward and strengthen the relationship you have with yourself. Does this sound like you?

This "month of love", I encourage you to celebrate, love, and appreciate yourself.  Why?

The relationship you have with yourself is the most important relationship you'll ever have because it will stay with you for the rest of your life.  Practicing self-care and giving yourself the love you truly deserve will enhance your health like nothing else.

10 Ways to Treat Yourself with Love

  1. Eat your greens (they love you back!)
  2. Have FUN! Smile! Laugh! Bring more joy into your life.
  3. Find exercise or an activity you love and move your body.
  4. Get 8 hours of sleep (great way to keep the pounds off, boost your immune system, help you manage stress better, and energize you the next day)
  5. Turn off the TV. Instead, get cozy on the couch and read a book (for pleasure, not for work!)
  6. Sing in the car and don't care about what anyone else thinks. It's liberating and will surely put a smile on your face!
  7. Get a massage. Give yourself permission to relax, get pampered and release the tension you've been holding in your body.
  8. Buy yourself flowers. The colors and smell will brighten and add life to your living space.
  9. Do deep breathing exercises (great way to decrease stress, lower blood pressure, clear themind, relieve stress headaches, release toxins, improve digestion, and relax)
  10. Write in your journal. Write down 3(or more) things in your life that you're grateful for. Then make a list of what you love about yourself (aspects of your personality, parts of your body, etc.) So often we don't fully appreciate what we have and we don't give ourselves enough credit for the amazing things that we contribute. Writing helps us become more aware of the good around and within us.

I wish you all a very Happy Valentine's Day. Remember that when you love yourself, you'll have more love to give to others. I encourage you to adopt this attitude not just on Valentine's Day, but every day. Say it with me now: "I love ME!"