How to Fall Back In Love With Yourself This Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day is just around the corner, which means that chances are good that by now:

1. You've completely given up on the hopes of keeping your New Year's Resolutions, and
2. You're probably sick and tired of reminders to buy chocolate and jewelry and heart shaped everything.

Heavy sigh.

The thing about some Valentine's Day is that there's an incredible amount of pressure to feel things you might not be feeling. Worse yet, you're supposed to express all the love in an extremely public fashion.

Here's a thought. This Valentine's Day let's embrace the idea of love in all its glory- but with a twist. Instead of finding ways to tell everyone else in your life how much you love and appreciate them, take a day to remember all the amazing things about yourself.

• Find your song: You know how gooey you got when you and your first love found the song that summed up everything about your special bond? In the Justin Bieber song Love Yourself, the former object of the Bieb's affection seems a bit too self-involved and is given a kiss off by lyrics. But what if there's a lesson to be learned? What if there's a song that you play every time you need a quick reminder about all the wonders of you? Here. I made a playlist for you to give you an idea of songs that can remind you how lovable you really are. It's just a suggestion, but pick on that makes you always feel great about yourself.
• Love the skin you're in: Of course we all work really hard to become better versions of ourselves, but sometimes the process causes us to start to hate the parts of us that were fine to begin with. Self-love doesn't have to be a smutty concept. It's fine to really love yourself – even if you don't love every single part of yourself. The next time you catch yourself about to say something self-deprecating or critical, stop. Now think about the motivation behind that comment. Even if you don't say anything out loud, find a way to reverse your thought process. Were you about to say something snarky about your muffin top? Focus instead on your strong arms or cute nose. Literally elevate your thinking so you're not focusing only on the parts you're not happy with.
• Accept compliments graciously: Why, oh, why do we find it so hard to really accept a compliment? If someone says you look cute, say thank you don't talk about the bags under your eyes or stain on your shirt. If someone tells you you're doing a great job, say thank you -don't tell them about the last project that bombed. Are you with me so far? There's a vast chasm between self-deprecation and bragging rights and it's absolutely fine for you to accept that you've done something amazing or look absolutely adorable. Incidentally, you look really cute today!
• Play with your food: Why should you wait for a fancy dinner to ooh and ahh over your meal? Add some spice, add some garnish, break out the good dishes or use a tablecloth. Even if you're eating a meal on your own, there's no reason to keep things spare. Enjoy the meal, enjoy the moment – enjoy yourself.
• Do a closet purge: those jeans that haven't fit since college? Chuck 'em. That sweater that reminds you of the guy or girl who broke your heart and left you emotionally bereft and inspired you to eat 56 bags of Cheetos? Yeah. Donate it to Goodwill. It doesn't matter how much you spent, if it makes you feel bad or drags you down, it has no place in your home.
• Move a little: Instead of wallowing on the couch and bemoaning the sad state of your love life, get on the treadmill instead. You might not be a natural born athlete, but just the act of moving will help you ease slowly into healthier exercise habits – and hopefully a better mood. Not everyone is cut out for a 24-hour endurance race. The rest of us have to add some movement into our days where and when we can.

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