Happy Valentine’s Day to Me!
Did you know that Valentine’s Day has nothing to do with romance and chocolates? Saint Valentine was martyred on February 14th. An English poet turned his death into love and romance, which has continued since the 14th century. For over 600 years we have celebrated February 14th as the day of love, and this year why not spend your time and energy loving yourself.
As busy moms and dads, we tend to put ourselves at the bottom of our ever-growing list. We take care of everyone we love, and if there is time and energy left, we take care of ourselves, which sometimes doesn’t even happen. As time goes on and less self-care occurs, we burn out, which can negatively affect our loved ones. We have less patience, more stress, increase in fatigue and the list goes on.
When we do self-care routinely, love ourselves and treat ourselves, we decrease our stress, anxiety, depression and fatigue. This, in turn, has a positive effect on you and your loved ones. I know that when I do not take care of myself routinely, I have less patience with my family, and more yelling, which triggers more tantrums and disruption in our family. When I burn out, the whole family feels it in a negative way which then makes me feel bad about myself and the snowball of negative feelings continues.
So why not do something for you this Valentine’s Day. Something that “fills your tank”, “soothes your soul” on this day of love. It can be as simple as taking an extra five minutes in the shower/bath or drinking your favorite tea/coffee while it is still warm. At the same time, play your favorite music or read your favorite book. Light your favourite candle or put on your favorite perfume/cologne. You need to show yourself love in whatever way you need it so that you can best love others. You are also teaching your little ones that loving yourself is just as important, if not more, than loving others.
Happy Valentine’s Day!
Becky Morrison is a Nurse Practitioner based out of Calgary who has specialized in mental health for over a decade. She is finally, after years of infertility, a mother of two busy little boys, and doting fur mom of her gentle giant, Stella. She is, and always will be, a strong advocate for mental wellness at all ages.
