Self Love is Not Selfish!

Ah yes, it’s finally that time of the year again. Love is inevitably in the air, as Valentine’s Day has made its way back around. Whether you have a hot date tonight or you are just waiting for all of the Valentine’s candy to go on sale, don’t fret, I have a few tips on how to celebrate today without forgetting to show yourself a little bit of love.

If you are like me, you have spent most of your life believing that Valentine’s Day is a made up holiday. Sure, you may of had a few nice valentines in the past or your mom always gave you some chocolate and a cute, cheesy stuffed animal, but at the end of the day it just seemed like society’s way to remind us that you need a significant other to have a fulfilling life. Now I know what you are probably thinking and no, I’m not someone who hates the idea of love or think that St. Valentine himself should suffer for this burden of a day he brought upon us. In fact, I absolutely adore the idea of falling in love. So much so, that I was stupid enough to fall in love with a boy who lives 10,000 miles away from me in Australia and we continue our relationship over the phone still up to this day. Now I’m not here to tell ya’ll about my love life, as I want today to be all about YOU. Now before I let you continue reading this post, I need you to say this out loud: Self love is not selfish! Now say it again and keep saying it until you truly believe it.

Who else feels like if they don’t have a significant other than they can’t truly celebrate Valentine’s Day? Its like we are given two choices: 1. You and the love of your life shower each other in gifts and have the most passionate day of your mushy, affectionate lives, or 2. You sit in bed alone crying over shitty rom-com movies with the only two men you can trust in your life, Ben & Jerry. Now don’t get wrong, I love a good pint of Ben & Jerry’s half-baked ice cream, but why do I always have to be “alone and heartbroken” to enjoy it on Valentine’s Day? Why has the idea of showing yourself love on February 14th become so taboo and somber? I know today is meant to be celebrated with loved ones and showing them your appreciation, but when was the last time you stopped and showed yourself a little bit of love? It’s okay to stop running around for other people and just think about yourself for a second. It’s okay if you had to raincheck your hot date tonight, because you just had a mentally- tiring week and there was no way you were cramming yourself in those shoes that are two sizes too small. And yes, it’s okay if you totally hate the idea of love and would rather spend the whole day in a warm, pink bubble bath. No matter your relationship status or what ice cream flavor you prefer to eat, remember that you’re allowed to take time to yourself, as (say it with me one more time folks) self love is not selfish!

Since my Valentine’s Day plans involve eating my body weight in chocolate and cheese, along with watching a few movies with my mama, I decided to throw a little playlist together for y’all to jam out to on this fine, Friday evening. So grab a few loved ones to rock out with or slap on a face mask and have a dance party of one. Cheers to St. Valentine and the weekend!

XOXO, @bitchinbutterfly