7 Valentine’s Day Self-Care Tips – Everyday Health

Treat Personal Care as a Self-Confidence Ritual

When you look good, you feel good. Just ask senior editor Melinda Carstensen, Everyday Health’s expert on all things beauty, who regularly sets aside time to treat herself to a manicure at her local salon. “Manicures make me feel feminine, confident, and put-together,” she explains. “I view them as an act of self-love and pampering.”

Not only is her polish always on point, but having frequented the same salon for years, Melinda has made a lasting friendship. “Each time I go in, my manicurist and I exchange updates on one another’s jobs, relationships, and other important life events,” she says. “Whenever I schedule a mani, I look forward not only to the gorgeous nails I’ll certainly have by the end of my appointment, but also to the friendly conversation I know I’ll enjoy during my appointment.”

While Melinda does concede that getting your nails done professionally can feel like an unnecessary expense, she believes that it’s one that is well worth it.

Quick Tip If a salon treatment isn’t in your budget at the moment, set aside a weekly time for a personal care ritual you really enjoy, like painting your nails, treating yourself to a face mask, or experimenting with new makeup.

Cultivate Joy by Caring for Plants

At this point in the winter, it may feel as if the cold weather is going to last forever — along with the feelings of sadness and anxiety that often accompany it. But green-thumbed senior editor Denise Maher is always looking on the bright side of life (or should we say, the greener side). “Winter is a drag,” she says. “It’s the one season I don’t get to garden, which is my go-to me-time activity.”

To stay organized and optimistic, Denise starts planning for the good weather ahead. “February is the time of year to start making garden plans, so I shop for and buy vegetable garden seeds as a Valentine’s Day gift to myself,” she explains. “It’s a way to look forward to warmer weather and sunnier days, while investing in a personal stress-reliever and future healthy food.”

Quick Tip Check out your local garden center and pick up some potted plants to add to your living space. Succulents are a good option because they tend to be low-maintenance, and come in a variety of shapes and sizes.

Make Time to Recharge With Friends

When you’re caught in a whirlwind of fast-paced obligations, life can feel overwhelming. For senior editor Amy Kraft, self-care means taking a step back from her busy life as a working mom, and spending time with girlfriends.

“A friend and I recently left our husbands and kids behind to go to a ski lodge in the Poconos in Pennsylvania,” she says. “After a weekend of spa treatments, hiking, and dining on food that we had no part in cooking, I returned to my family recharged and able to be present for their needs.”

Not only does this time with friends help her decompress, but Amy also finds it benefits her marriage, too. “My husband is so laid back and appreciates that I need time away to be with friends every now and then,” she notes. “His empathy for my needs keeps our marriage strong.”

Quick Tip Prioritize time with your friends where possible, and make an effort to follow through on plans you make with them. Start traditions that fit all of your schedules, whether it’s a monthly catch-up or an annual trip.

Explore EFT Tapping for Stress Relief

If you haven’t heard of emotional freedom technique (EFT) tapping, and find yourself needing to decompress, you may want to consider giving it a try. This practice involves systematically tapping your meridian points, or areas of concentrated bodily energy, to help calm and refocus the mind, according to The Tapping Solution.

For Editor in Chief Maureen Connolly, this alternative treatment has become an essential part of her daily routine. “I use tapping to reduce end-of-day stress,” she explains. “It also helps me fall back to sleep when I wake up at night.”

Maureen finds that EFT tapping isn’t just useful for de-stressing or falling asleep; it also helps her regain focus and perspective in her personal life.

“If I have a misunderstanding with a friend, rather than replay the scenario on a loop in my head … I use tapping to get at what’s really bothering me,” she says. “This almost always helps me to address what happened in a much more loving way than if I hadn’t ‘tapped it out.’”

Quick Tip Check out the Tapping Solutions Meditations app for hundreds of guided EFT tapping meditations, for everything from sleep support to relationships.

Practice Self-Care Through Pet Care

The dog versus cat debate rages on, but one thing both sides can agree on is that spending time with your animal of choice is the perfect way to get that warm, fuzzy (and perhaps furry) feeling. Health producer Anna Brooks certainly agrees — she shares her apartment with a menagerie of pets, and finds that all the love and care she provides her animals is reflected back to her.

“It can be hard to love yourself, or to trust other people’s expressions of love, but looking into the soulful eyes of a dog, cat, or tortoise (well, the tortoise gives more of a stink eye) who unconditionally appreciates you, you can’t help but give yourself some love,” she explains. “And in my opinion, self-love is the ultimate form of self-care.”

Quick Tip See if your local shelter is in need of volunteers, head to your local dog park to watch the fun, or schedule a night in with the friend who has three cats.

Find Quiet Moments for Mini Meditations

Meditation isn’t just the latest buzzword, but a self-care practice that more than 14 percent of American adults practice, according to the 2017 National Health Interview Survey survey conducted by the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. And senior health producer Brianna Majsiak is one of them.

“I struggled to get into meditating because I thought it had to be a grand arrival of some sort, but I’ve learned that it’s different for everyone,” she says. “For me, it’s about making time for small, quiet moments.”

She’s a particular fan of the Calm app, which allows her to take a quick meditation break anywhere, anytime. “I try to find a few minutes each morning to focus on my breathing in the app’s daily calm feature, and I feel an instant boost in energy and mood.”

Quick Tip Download the Calm app and try out the free trial to get started, or check out these five Brianna-approved ways to practice breath-focused meditation.

Change Your Scenery, Change Your Perspective

Daily rituals, like sticking to a regular sleep schedule and eating well, are important for managing everyday well-being, but sometimes we need to physically uproot ourselves to prevent burnout and reset.

Associate editor and Ireland native Laura McArdle enjoys seeing new places and trying new foods as a way to practice self-care. “Taking breaks from my routine to visit different places helps me clear my head and gain a little perspective on the things that may be stressing me out at home or at work,” she says.

“Meanwhile, researching and planning trips based on the things that are important to me — like trying new foods and learning more about history — keeps me organized and ensures I always have something to be excited about.” Her favorite place to escape to? The west coast of Ireland, where most of her family lives.

Quick Tip You don’t need to go far or spend a lot to explore new places. Research places near your city where you can take a day trip, or act like a tourist in your own city by checking out that museum or gallery you’ve been meaning to visit.