This post was sponsored by adidas. All opinions are my own.
Valentine’s Day happens pretty soon after the start of the new year, and that can make it pretty difficult to stick to your resolutions. Whether you’re spoken-for or single, you’re likely going to be tempted to celebrate V-day with treats. Chocolates, wine, dinner out…that’s just the name of the game. While I do love these kinds of treats in moderation, this year I’m going to treat myself in another way: with self-care.
How to Have a Self Care Valentine’s Day
1. Get your heart pumping with exercise
You don’t need romance to get your heart going this Valentine’s Day—all you need is a little exercise. 🙂
My recommendation is to pick something you actually enjoy doing. When you find a style of exercise you love, it’s a lot easier to stick with it. So if you keep getting hurt running or you hate going to the gym to lift weights, don’t do those things! Instead, try out some new things until you find a form of exercise you won’t mind doing regularly. Don’t forget to switch things up sometimes though—crosstraining is important for injury prevention as well as for keeping things interesting so you don’t get bored.
Prayer twist in my adidas jacket
My favorite form of exercise right now is yoga. I tend to be an anxious person, but yoga forces me to breathe along with my movements, which lowers my heart rate and makes me feel calmer. Plus, no matter how I’m feeling, I can find a yoga class that suits me on YouTube or my yoga app. Most times I like to do a more fast-paced flow and sweat a little bit, but other times I like to slow down and do a restorative yin practice.
If you’ve been wanting to try yoga, I definitely encourage you to do so—it has changed my life. All you need to get started is a yoga mat, a little space, and yourself.
2. Reflect on what you’re thankful for
Being surrounded by social media, it’s easy to get caught up thinking about relationships and material things we wish we had. But with that kind of attitude, we’ll never have enough. Take some time this Valentine’s Day to think about what you’re grateful for. You could even make a list and refer to it in the future when you find yourself longing for a person or thing.
I’m thankful for my cat who “helps” with photos.
3. Don’t sabotage yourself
If you’ve been doing well at sticking to your goals this year, don’t stop just because it’s Valentine’s Day. Keep the momentum going, whether that means continuing your streak of workouts, cooking a healthy meal for yourself, or making time to read.
4. Do something outside your normal routine
Even if you’re spending this Valentine’s Day a little differently than usual, you don’t have to ignore it altogether. If you usually stay in, make it special by spending time with friends. If you usually find yourself surrounded by people, try cozying up at home and having some solo time.
5. Treat yourself to something unique
Instead of wine or sweets, treat yourself to something that will motivate you to keep up your healthy habits. Maybe that’s a nice yoga mat or a cute pair of yoga leggings and comfy hoodie, or maybe it’s a spa day at home, complete with a long bubble bath and fancy face mask. Personally, I decided to treat myself by upgrading my fitness watch to one that could more accurately track my yoga sessions.
No matter what you treat yourself to, I hope you have a happy, healthy Valentine’s Day!
