Back when I was a kid, I was HUGE fan of the pastel, sweet conversation heart candies. Not only did I devour the wintergreen tasting, chalky sugar in my teeth, the messages always made me smile. While those little bites packed me with too much sugar, they also filled me with self-love. Through my own research and journey within wellness, I’ve learned that positivity goes a long way. Our minds can be a big tool for resiliency and help with our own stress reduction. While it takes time to turn around habits, including learning to self-love, at Pretty Wellness we’re here to encourage you to take baby steps toward better health and happiness. While I won’t be eating any candy hearts to celebrate Valentine’s Day, I’m excited to celebrate by sharing 28 self-care and self-love ideas so we can all treat ourselves a little better.

Here’s to counting on ourselves, not others opinions, thoughts or actions. Self-love is about taking care of ourselves and connecting to what we love. It’s not always easy to realize what we need and want, so here are some ideas to get you started. Pick and choose some of the tips below to create experiences that will hopefully bring you joy.

A February Full of Self-Love – 28 Days and 28 Ways

1. Buy yourself flowers – Just because.
2. Activity list – Create a list of activities that will make you smile and post it on the wall so you have it handy for weekends.
3. Dream – Spend 20 minutes daydreaming and/or coming up with a wish list of your biggest dreams – revel in it.
4. Slow down – Spend a few hours with your normal routine but take it at a slower pace and pay attention.
5. Celebrate you – Write a list of what you like about yourself, your accomplishments, your celebrations.
6. Be fancy – Wear a fancy outfit, bright lipstick or colorful shoes – just because.
7. Note – Write a note to a friend just because – and send it in the mail. It always makes me smile to do something surprising and friendly for someone.
8. ME time – Go to your calendar and schedule ME time once a week with no plan.
9. Pamper yourself – Take a long, bubble bath with epson salts, essential oils and calming music.
10. Create a shelf, corner or area in your home that is your zen space – Fill it with items that you love and make you smile (quotes, pictures, colors, crystals, anything that makes you happy).
11. Write a power-phrase – Create a positive power phrase / mantra and every time you think something negative, say it to yourself. Some of my favorites include: “I am enough.” “Make today great.” “I am beautiful inside and out.” “I can do this.” “I am happy, I am bright.”
12. Go outside – Take a walk, run or sit and drink tea – take it nature and how it can make humans calm.
13. Buy a trinket – Take $25 – or decide on an amount – and go to the store and buy yourself something you don’t need but will make you smile. I’ve done that before and came home with a new lipstick, a joke book, new markers, a dry brush and magazines.
14. Spend time exploring a new at-home hobby – I started up calligraphy again and now can do some fancy modern handwriting.
15. Try a new class – Check out different exercise classes at the gym or at small local boutiques.
16. Learn something new – The local parks and recreation departments often offer cooking classes and other adult education.
17. Learn to declutter – Ridding yourself of excess has shown to help us manage our day to day easier. Watch the new Netflix Marie Kondo show or get inspiration from Neat Little Nest.
18. Fine dining – Go to a fine restaurant and order what you want – most restaurants tend to cook with wholesome real foods. Enjoy it. Savor the flavors. Consider how you can recreate it at home – perhaps make it healthier by tweaking a few ingredients.
19. Drink fresh juice – Go to a local juice bar and order a few different juices to try. Find the combinations that you love so you start to crave fruits and veggies often. I try and drink juice most mornings after my warm water and lemon. It gives me an instant jolt of fresh energy.
20. Comparison – Shut it down – Every time you start to compare yourself to someone on social media or in your head about something…shut it down. Try this for one day. Try to just be your own superpower to help you get away (at least for that day) with the comparison game.
21. No Phone – Pick a day – or a time of day to let go of your phone. See how the night goes when you are focusing on what’s around you and not looking to connect or share images/content through technology.
22. All-time favorites – Come up with a list of your all-time favorite movies and watch one of them.
23. Bucket movie list – Come up with a list of movies you have not seen and want to – watch one of them.
24. Random acts of kindness – Do something kind for a stranger. Pay for that coffee for the person in front of you. Grab flowers from your yard and put it on someone’s doorstep. Kindness matters and makes us feel good doing it.
25. Service – helping others often times helps ourselves – Check out justserve.org for locations near you.
26. Pamper yourself – get a manicure, pedicure or DIY, consider adding a hair conditioning treatment.
27. Plan – Brainstorm a summer adventure. Enjoy the planning and creating process while also coming up with something you can look forward to.
28. Create an on-going gratitude list – What you appreciate and are thankful for in life and well as yourself.

In my Self-Love Grab Bag

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Looking for a speaker to inspire your organization or business team? Hire me to present or facilitate a seminar on resiliency, positivity and wellness in the workplace. Check out my business website and demo reel at CarynSullivan.com.

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