Well, it’s February, a month that’s known for being short as well as sweet, the sweet part is sure to bring that curve on your face as you read this! That’s right, it’s the month to celebrate love and bonding, a month to just wear your heart on your sleeve and let that special someone know how precious and dear they are! It’s that time of the year when streets and shops, hoardings and hotels display the best of their wares and offers! The unmissable hearts in crimson red and pretty pinks make that 4 lobed organ pound and skip a beat, the luring offers on candies and chocolates almost get you floored, while the plethora of gifting options and greeting cards can make one go dizzy! One can almost feel like a child lost in a candy store amidst the storm that retailers cook up during the pre- Valentine time. Picture yourself, as you make your way through the myriad of options, spoilt for choice and your mind racing on what would be the most ideal yet extraordinary gift to gift your loved one! How often do we all find ourselves in this situation planning and prodding over making either your better half or your bestie feel loved!
Take a moment how often you have made yourself feel special. While most of us will respond in the negative, it’s a cruel reminder of how we haven’t taken time out to replenish and reinvigorate ourselves! As breathing living beings love is an innate quality we are born with, but you can shower and pour out love only if you love yourself. Self-love is often sidelined in times when simply giving more and more of us to others have become a default norm!
“You can’t pour from an empty cup!” every time you read this or hear this famous saying, youpause and think over, when was the last time you just took out time to do something just for yourself, your mind rolls over and wallows in self-pity! You almost feel fragmented, broken, like a part of you belongs to everyone else but you! Your mind shifts to a regular punch line that goes on in a loop “I don’t have much time” and you miss being just YOU, immersing yourself in
the things you loved to do once upon a time! While you mull over all of this, there is some part of you that pushes away this thought of self-care care a form of self-love. We have been brought up through societal rules and pressures that have come to make us believe that taking care of one tantamount to being selfish. Hence we often find ourselves giving more and more of ourselves to others with very little time for nourishing ourselves with the little things we love to do otherwise.
If February is celebrated as a month of love, I would say let’s celebrate this as a month of self-love – and the best way to do this is to indulge and engage in self-care! It’s time you shift your narrative and take charge of your life, pour yourself out a cup of love, a bottle full of warm bear hugs and sit yourself down to do all that you would love to do! How about delving deep into what are your real needs, what will nourish you not just in terms of food but in terms of thoughts, hobbies, reading, gratitude journaling, gardening, star gazing or just lazing around on the couch with a mug of warm tea- these are all different forms of self-care and self-love that we often sideline due to our hectic lives. Sometimes a brisk morning walk in the sunshine for a dopamine rush or digging into some dark chocolate for some serotonin release can help to kick in some feel good hormones. Kick on your boots and throw on your favourite dress or crisp shirt and dab on your irresistible fragrance, feel like a million bucks, because YOU are the most important person in the world, pour yourself out a goblet of wine and rest in the confines of your home with just YOU and celebrate the day of love! We often depend on others for our “pick me up” moments, the answer for feeling loved and being loved lies with you!
So this February, let go and be kind to yourself, your weary soul needs a little love and respect,be kind and compassionate just to yourself rather than being guilt-ridden! Love yourself, to begin with, care for that special YOU that needs a little time, take stalk of your decisions today that get you feeling frail and fatigued and look for ways that can invigorate, reset and rejuvenate that hungry soul so longing for care and compassion!
