It’s so important to live your best life and to treat yo’self on Valentine’s Day. That’s why this list of Valentine’s Day self care tips is meant for you if that’s the kind of life you deserve.
Do you ever feel like you’re constantly taking care of someone else on Valentine’s Day but … never yourself?
Yeah, I get that babe.
I know for me there’s a lot of cooking, cleaning, and generally making sure that there are plans made and thought-filled gestures at every corner for my partner. And while my partner does a pretty stand-up job of giving me a gift for the holiday, I’m always left feeling as though there could have been something more.
So to fill that void, I get in some “me time” for Valentine’s Day weekend. Why? Because while my partner is very important to me, it’s important that I be my own cheerleader by being my own valentine.
That’s why in this post you’ll see an easy-to-digest list of three Valentine’s Day self care tips that are generally easy to do and take only a slight amount of effort.
This post is all about Valentine’s Day self care.
How Do I Take Care of Myself on Valentine’s Day?
There are a number of ways, but taking care of yourself must be for you, from you. Sure, it can come in the form of a gift card that someone else got you, but was it a gift card you actually wanted?
You want to take care of yourself in a way that is meaningful to you – not because someone bought it for you and you’re trying to use it up (unless it’s a body scrub, then scrub on girl).
Maybe you have been neglecting your basic needs for a while: basic hygiene, eating well, drinking enough water, those kinds of things. Valentine’s Day can be a great reset day for you to get those needs back on track. After all, it’s the best excuse to pamper yourself even if you’re partnered up.
So the list below gives 3 tips for Valentine’s Day self care that I’m sure you’ll be delighted with (plus, there are some extras, too!).
Self Care Tips for Valentine’s Day
1 // Stay Warm
It’s the middle of winter when Valentine’s Day rolls around, so that means it’s awfully cold and I despise the cold.
So in an effort to take care of myself during the week of Valentine’s I stay nice and toasty.
There are a few ways to do that. 😌
- Curl up into bed with a comfy, fluffy blanket.
- Sit on the couch with a hot cup of tea or coffee watching the sunrise or sunset from your window.
- Turn on your fireplace, put down a blanket and some throw pillows, make your own personal charcuterie board and read a book.
- Take a hot bath. Personalize it with bath bombs, bubble bars, candles, wine, a book, or your favorite TV show.
Pretty easy right?
OK, but say you’re really looking for something with a little more substance though. Alright, cool, cool, I get it.
Related: How to Make Yourself A Priority While Being There For Others
2 // Treat Yourself, Sis
There’s a lot of freedom in your choices for treating yourself.
One of my personal favorites for this day is changing the sheets on my bed to something a little … sexy. 😉 For who? Me, girl. Period.
Silk sheets are the way to go with a luscious fluffy bathrobe to boot. Ring a little bell and have your partner bring you up some cut-up strawberries, chocolates, or whatever else. Shoo them out of the room and just indulge in your own personal heaven.
I’m tellin’ yaaaaa it’s so easy.
But if you’re really looking for some ideas, I’ve got a catalog:
- Dinner and a movie. Create that dish you’ve always been craving to make, do take out, or just make yourself that dessert you’ve been staring at on Pinterest for eons.
- Prepare a cheese and crackers charcuterie board. Easy to do and it can be an afternoon snack.
- Indulge in yourself in a Valentine’s Day spa day! Turn your bathroom into a little oasis with candles and a hot bubble bath to slowly relax your body into submission. While you’re lying in the tub, throw on a face mask and maybe even a lip mask and just lie back and steam. Grab a glass of wine and turn on your choice of spa day playlist from Spotify (or Apple, idk your life choices)
- Your favorite, beautiful flowers. Make sure you order your flowers for a few days before Valentine’s Day or even the weekend after since florists won’t be as busy after the rush.
- Spend some time gardening if you live in a warmer area.
- Reading that novel you’ve been putting off for a month or two… or five years (guilty). You can always opt into a spicy novel or check out an app like Galatea if you’re into naughty but also fantasy type stories (e.g., werewolves, vampires, etc).
- Write down your thoughts in a journal. There are fantastic resources to get started on journaling if you’ve never tried. But if you are already a journaler take the time to get your thoughts down on paper now.
- Watch Valentine movies (or a TV show like Bridgerton). Throw popcorn at the screen while you’re at it because boo them for being happy (or maybe it’s something they did that was dumb, idk, live your life babe).
- Hop off social media for a day. By doing so, you’re not inundated with couple photos or about how being single sucks. Nope, take the time instead to indulge in pampering yourself like the Queen you are.
- Enjoying your favorite hobby. It’s the perfect time to pour into yourself and what better way than spending time in your favorite hobby, right?
- Watching the sunrise and/or sunset. You don’t need anyone for this. Grab a thermos with your favorite hot drink, a large blanket, and watch the sunset on the beach or lake or … mountain? Wherever is comfortable and accessible for you.
- Stargazing, if the conditions are just right. You may need to go out of your way for this, especially if you live in the city, but it can be a really nice way to get away from the troubles of romance, being single, etc, to give you time to see that the world from a different perspective.
- Visit your local botanical garden. You can read (or listen to) a book on a bench if the weather is warm by you. Or there aren’t as many people out and about during Winter, but around Valentine’s Day, there should be a number of couples at most public gardens. Take in the weather and decide if they’re going to last (in your head, of course!)
- Enjoy some yoga. If you’re not into it, maybe try to find somewhere that will take it easy on you for your first time.
- Dress to impress yourself.
Related: How to Squeeze in Luxurious Self Care During a Ridiculously Busy Week
- Get yourself a manicure and a pedicure and get your hair done. The ultimate pamper day, right? If you’re skilled enough, you can do it yourself, but if not, just make an appointment at your local nail and hair salons. Be warned, however, I’d make the reservation early or after the holidays, so that they aren’t rushing you in and out of their chair.
- Have personal sexy time. You can use things like the showerhead, a pillow, a hairbrush, your hands, or even a vibrator for starters. Just make sure you wash up everything you use. You can use essential oils to also help heighten any senses to make it a spectacular show, too.
- Bake an adult smash cake. You know how one year olds have their own personal cake to smash? Well, something like that, but don’t smash it. Or do. My thought was you make yourself your own personal cake that you can easily eat on your own over a few days without wasting ingredients on a cake you may not be able to eat.
- Or bake cupcakes. This works, too. But if you want to try cake decorating (just a random thought) you can’t really do that with cupcakes!
- Write a love letter to yourself. In the words of my brethren, “Big up yuhself.” Write down the things you love about who you are, who you are becoming, and who you are so proud to see come into this world. Date it for next year and remember how far you came from that point.
- Kick your partner out of the house for a day. Do so kindly of course. But being able to center yourself in your home may be a nice change of pace.
- Hire a babysitter and take yourself out to dinner. If you’re a parent take the time out to spend time wining and dining yourself before doing the same for your partner. And if you’re a single parent, you definitely deserve the alone time. You could even go the extra mile and get a hotel room to decompress far away from your own bed.
3 // Get Some Beauty Sleep
This brings me to my last way to get some me-time in for Valentine’s Day.
Rest.
It’s a really important thing to do, not only for your body but also to keep your mental health in check. Beauty sleep gets a bad rep, however, it can be a truly rejuvenating experience.
So yeah, grab some cucumbers and cherries and indulge. Valentine’s Day isn’t only about couples loving on themselves – love on yourself, too!
Take Care of Yourself, Beautiful!
Whatever your love language, speak it to yourself.
I personally am an Acts of Service kinda gal, so I tend to cook and clean for myself when I feel like I’m not getting the love I deserve from my partner. It centers me and brings me back to a place where I feel more in control.
Take control of your happiness this Valentine’s Day and I hope you see how special you are and how deserving you are of love and happiness. Happy Valentine’s Day!
Interested in more Self Care or Valentine’s Day? Read these:
The Ultimate Valentine’s Day Gift Guide
60+ Unique & Thoughtful Ways to Take Care of Yourself For Women In Their 20s
How to Squeeze in Luxurious Self Care During a Ridiculously Busy Week
I have learned to stop and love myself. When I take a shower it is no longer a part of my routine, it is a moment in which I stop and pamper myself. From cream to mask, to a calm shower and so for every other single step … it seems to slow down the days and be less productive but the effect is the opposite!
Yes! Taking a shower is a great time to just allow yourself to decompress and to pamper yourself. While it isn’t as productive in terms of time, as you say, there’s so much more value in giving your body the appropriate time of day that it deserves whether it’s washing your hair or showering with a face mask on. Completely agree with you. Thank you for commenting Cristina!
I just love this and what a perfect day to love yourself! Self love is so important and truly enjoyed this delightful post as loving yourself is key to finding that love in your life… you have to love yourself first 🙂 Some pamperoing is always perfection for me and hoenstly I am so overdue it is not cool! LOL.
I am so overdue on pampering myself, too, Melissa! ;_; It’s why I knew that this post would resonate with someone else during such a lovey-dovey holiday. It’s so essential for us to take the time out for ourselves, especially during this pandemic. Hope you give yourself some time this coming V-Day!