This Valentine’s Day, Start With Loving Yourself
February 14th is Valentine’s Day, which is typically celebrated by sharing your love and affection for someone else. However, what we often fail to realize is that if we do not love ourselves, it is difficult to experience true happiness. “Learning how to self-love is important to living happier and healthier in every aspect of your life. It influences who you pick to be your mate for life, the image you project at work, how you accomplish your work, the way you raise your children, the way you interact with those around you, and the way you cope with the problems in your life” [1].
According to prominent author Louise Hay, “After years of individual counseling with clients and conducting hundreds of workshops and intensive training programs across the country and around the world, I found that there is only one thing that heals every problem, and that is: to know how to love yourself. When people start to love themselves more each day, it’s amazing how their lives get better. They feel better. They get the jobs they want. They have the money they need. Their relationships either improve, or the negative ones dissolve and new ones begin” [2].
Yet, the truth is that most of us find it difficult to love ourselves. This is particularly true for compulsive gamblers who have done things that have hurt themselves and others deeply. However, it is important to forgive yourself and to understand that making mistakes provide new opportunities to learn. “Self-love is not simply a state of feeling good; it is an action. Self-love is a choice. It is a way of relating to yourself that involves being understanding for your mistakes, understanding in your losses, and being able to effectively communicate with yourself about life without harshly judging or punishing yourself [3].”
Some suggestions to get started follow:
♡ Schedule yourself a check-up
♡ Be self-compassionate
♡ Be honest with yourself
♡ Take responsibility
♡ Learn to say no
♡ Do something nice for yourself daily
♡ Don’t compare yourself to others
♡ Dance
♡ Make fun a priority
♡ Take good care of your body
♡ Get the sleep you need
♡ Stand up for yourself
♡ Allow yourself downtime
♡ Spend time with people who respect your recovery
♡ Ask for help when you need it
February is also National Self-Check Month, which raises awareness about the importance of regular self-checks. It is also a perfect opportunity, with Valentine’s Day in mind, to sit ourselves down and talk about health concerns, perform self-checks, and schedule wellness visits with healthcare professionals. It’s also a great time to remind those we care about to do the same because we cannot take things for granted that we cannot always see. Just like compulsive gambling, the symptoms of many diseases are hidden and can be best assessed by trained professionals. It’s also important to practice what you preach. So, start this Valentine’s Day by giving yourself the gift of loving all of YOU first, experiencing the benefits of true healing one day at a time.
To start your recovery journey, call 888-ADMIT-IT (888-236-4848), text (321-978-0555), email (fccg@gamblinghelp.org), live chat (gamblinghelp.org), use the 888-ADMIT-IT App (https://landing.appypie.com/888-admit-it), or reach out on social media, such as Facebook and Twitter.
References
- Psychological Health Care Blog (2019). Learn How to Self-love. Retrieved Learn How to Self-love | Psychological Health Care.
- Hay, L. (2021). Do You Truly Know How to Love Yourself? Retrieved https://www.louisehay.com/do-you-truly-know-how-to-love-yourself/.
- Psychological Health Care Blog (2019).
