7 Ways to Show Yourself a Little Love this Valentine’s Day

This is a guest post written by Elizabeth Jarrard,  a Boston-based nutritionist and soon-to-be Registered Dietitian  

 "You, yourself, as much as anyone else in the universe, deserve your love and respect." -Buddha

Valentine’s Day. A day to exchange sweet nothings with your loved ones, shower them with roses and chocolates and hope for another year of love. A day to make and remember important, wonderful traditions and memories. But did you ever stop and tell yourself that you loved you? Have you shown your body the respect it deserves today?  

While we worry about the life we create and the people we share it with, sometimes our inner dialogue can be quite mean: “I hate my hips/butt/thighs/arms/you name it!” “I feel so guilty for eating that.” “I shouldn’t have eaten dessert last night.” This negative self-dialogue is self-defeating, and it brings down your self-esteem every time those thoughts cross your mind. And there’s nothing less attractive than negative self-hate.

7 ways to show yourself a little self love this Valentine’s Day --

1. Appreciate your body for what it does, rather than how it looks. Instead of bemoaning your stomach as you get dressed, rejoice in the strength of your core, legs and arms.
2. Write a list of 5 things you love about yourself today.
3. Learn to say no to things that don't help or support you and your journey.
4. Take at least 5 minutes out of today to do something for yourself. Take a relaxing bath, go for a walk, get a massage.
5. Leave comparison at the door. Comparing yourself to others in a negative light won’t help them and can only hurt you.
6. Focus on health, strength, joy and energy rather than weight. Eat healthfully and engage in physical activity that makes you feel great, rather than tired and drained.
7. Stand tall and project confidence. Confidence is sexy. Embrace it!

This Valentine's Day, as you give some love to your parents, siblings, friends and companion, share a little bit of love with yourself. Allow yourself to fall deeply in love with yourself. Give yourself the gift of accepting the person you are today and love all of you this Valentine’s Day and every day after. 

Question: What do you love most about yourself?

Elizabeth Jarrard is a nutritionist based in Boston, MA. With a B.S in Nutritional Sciences from Boston University she hopes to heal her clients’ relationships with food and their bodies. You can find her running on the Esplanade, sweating in hot yoga, cooking in the kitchen, or exploring. Follow Elizabeth on Twitter @ElizabethEats or read her two blogs: Guiltless and Don’t (White) Sugar Coat It.