All you need is (self)LOVE.
Valentine’s has always been a day that divides opinion. It’s all very well and good if you’re in a loving relationship, but what if you’re not?
What if you’re on your own and the official day for couples isn’t the reminder you need? Or, what if you’re someone who doesn’t want to look to a partner for validation? Valentine’s Day can invoke so many feelings, and right now, challenging emotions can feel so much bigger, and loneliness so much harder.
This is why we want to think about February as a time to focus on self-love, so I spoke to Maxine and Charla about what this time of year means to them.
MAX
Who are you?
I’m a breath work coach, yoga teacher, and intuitive body worker.
Why do you do what you do?
After a series of traumas, I quit my job in the corporate world and embarked on a journey of self-love and healing. I’m on a mission to help people live mindfully and encourage people to look after their wellbeing and mental health.
What are your thoughts on Valentine’s Day?
I find Valentine’s a struggle. As a single person times like this really highlight the fact that I’m alone. Christmas is hard enough and it isn’t long before Valentine’s Day is here. The extra focus on it in the media means it’s harder to avoid it. This is why self-love is so important.
What does self-love mean to you?
To me, self-love is about recognising when you need to set boundaries and valuing your own time and needs. Saying no is so important. When we say no we create a boundary and this re-enforces the respect we have for ourselves.
What is your top self-love tip?
Rest is so important, we often feel like we need to be doing something. Allowing ourselves time to just be, sleeping well, and creating mindful moments in our day help us to be our best. It’s also important to think about how we talk to ourselves, talking to ourselves how we would a friend, rather than being critical or unkind.
Find out more: WEBSITE
CHARLA
Who are you
Founder of The Grateful Hearts Club.
Why you do what you do?
Sharing the positive message of gratitude is so important, right now more than ever. It helped me during a difficult time and I’m committed to helping everyone know about how it can help build resilience and increase joy.
What are your thoughts on Valentine’s Day?
Even though I’m lucky enough to be married, I can’t say Valentine’s Day means that much to me. It often creates expectations and in relationships that can lead to disappointment. This year I’ve ordered my own Valentine’s Day flowers. It felt so good to order them as a thank you to me, from me.
What does self-love mean to you?
It’s taken me a long time to understand how important self-love is. Treating yourself with kindness, listening to what your body needs, and celebrating your uniqueness. Ultimately putting yourself first not having to rely on anyone else to validate you. For me, it’s still a journey but a very empowering one.
What is your top self-love tip?
I honestly think it’s important to reflect some gratitude back to ourselves. What personality traits and virtues make us who we are? What are we most proud of? Reflecting with kindness is also so important. It’s so important to remember we can only ever do our best with what we know at that time.
Find out more: WEBSITE
To celebrate all things self-love Max and Charla have collaborated on a self-love workshop.
The Gratitude Effect is a 1.5-hour online workshop being held on 28th February at 5:30 pm and focuses on the heart chakra. It includes breathwork, meditation, journaling, and gratitude and makes a great gift for that special someone, or better still a self-love gift for YOU. Tickets will be on sale by Eventbrite on 12th February at 10:30am from HERE
