Valentine’s Day often focuses on romantic relationships, but it can also be a beautiful opportunity to strengthen your relationship with yourself.
Learning how to practice self-love is a journey; you don’t have to focus on grand gestures or unrealistic positivity.
Tune in, instead, to steady, supportive habits that reinforce self-respect, emotional awareness, and physical care.
If you’d like to lean into self-love this Valentine’s Day, we have plenty of ideas to get you started.
The Importance of Self-Love
Self-love is often misunderstood. It can sound indulgent and can be positioned as selfish, but it’s an important part of the relationship we have with ourselves, and can show up in very ordinary ways.
Psychological research around self-compassion shows clear links between self-kindness and lower stress levels, improved emotional regulation, and healthier long-term habits.
When you speak to yourself with understanding instead of criticism, cortisol levels are less likely to spike in response to small mistakes or setbacks. Over time, that matters.
Self-love also influences boundaries. People who value themselves tend to protect their time, manage their energy, and make decisions based on long-term wellbeing rather than short-term pressure.
Valentine’s Day can become a marker. A moment to check in and ask:
● Am I supporting my body consistently?
● Am I resting enough?
● Am I speaking to myself with respect?
That awareness is where change begins.
How To Practice Self-Love as a Woman
For many women, self-love requires undoing years of conditioning around appearance, productivity, and caregiving. It often starts with creating space to pause, and here are our favourite ways to do that:
1. Build a Journalling Habit
Journalling is one of the most accessible tools for emotional clarity. It reduces mental clutter and helps you recognise patterns.
A simple evening structure might include:
● What felt draining today?
● What felt supportive?
● What do I need tomorrow?
This process strengthens emotional awareness. It also reduces internal tension that can manifest as tight shoulders, disrupted sleep, or skin flare-ups.
Over time, journalling builds self-trust. You begin to recognise your needs earlier, rather than pushing through exhaustion.
We’ve created a gentle daily journal to guide you.
2. Reconnect With Your Body
Modern life encourages disconnection from physical cues. Dry body brushing is a good way to re-establish that connection.
Using a copper bristle brush before showering stimulates circulation and supports lymphatic movement.
The lymphatic system plays a role in fluid balance and immune function. Gentle brushing toward the heart encourages flow and increases body awareness.
This practice is not about changing how your body looks. It is about touch, circulation, and consistency.
When paired with a warm shower and moisturising, it becomes a structured ritual that signals safety and care to the nervous system.
3. Support Skin Health From Within and Without
Skin often reflects stress, sleep quality, and internal nourishment. A steady skincare routine supports the skin barrier and reduces unnecessary inflammation.
Cleansing properly, applying moisturiser consistently, and protecting against environmental stressors are foundational acts of self-respect and give you time to focus just on you, and not everyone else around you.
Internal support also matters. Nutrients that support collagen formation, hydration, and antioxidant protection contribute to long-term skin resilience.
4. Protect Your Energy
Self-love includes saying no.
Many women struggle with overcommitment. Protecting your calendar, limiting emotional labour, and scheduling rest are practical forms of self-respect.
Energy management is not selfish. It allows you to show up with stability rather than depletion.
5. Doing Something You Love
As we become mums, wives, and partners, we can focus more on those we love than on ourselves, and that can mean losing a little of who we are along the way.
Self-love this Valentine’s Day could be as simple as reconnecting with an old hobby that used to bring you joy, or trying something new.
It’s not selfish to spend time doing something that lights you up. Investing in yourself actually helps you show up better for others.
You may also like our guide to putting your wellbeing first.
How To Practice Self-Love as a Man
Men often receive fewer cultural messages encouraging emotional processing or structured self-care.
Practicing self-love as a man may feel unfamiliar at first. That does not make it unnecessary.
1. Develop Emotional Check-Ins
Journalling isn’t just for women, and it does not need to be expressive or lengthy. A structured approach works well:
● What is currently stressing me?
● What action can I take?
● What can I let go of?
Writing clarifies thinking. It also reduces suppressed tension that can manifest as irritability, poor sleep, or physical fatigue.
Emotional regulation supports hormone balance and cardiovascular health over time. Self-love is preventative.
2. Prioritise Physical Maintenance
Grooming isn’t just for women either! Consistent grooming, skincare, and body care routines reinforce discipline and self-respect.
Cleansing the skin, moisturising, and protecting against irritation support the skin barrier and reduce inflammation.
Movement is another form of self-care. Structured exercise supports testosterone balance, cardiovascular health, and stress reduction. The goal is sustainability, not punishment.
3. Schedule Recovery
High performance without recovery leads to burnout. Recovery might mean:
● An evening without screens
● A long walk outdoors
● Early sleep
● A structured stretch session
Valentine’s Day can act as a reminder that strength includes rest.
4. Strengthen Your Support Network
Self-love for men often includes something that doesn’t get talked about enough: connection.
Many men are conditioned to handle stress quietly and independently. Over time, that can lead to isolation, even when surrounded by people.
Checking in with yourself also means asking whether you are carrying too much on your own.
That might look like:
● Reaching out to a friend you haven’t spoken to in a while
● Having an honest conversation instead of brushing things off
● Booking a health check you’ve been putting off
● Asking for help when you need it
Strong support systems improve long-term mental and physical health. They reduce chronic stress and encourage accountability around healthy habits.
Self-reliance is valuable. So is knowing you don’t have to do everything on your own.
Valentine’s Day can be a reminder that connection is part of self-respect.
Self-Love Activities for Adults
Not every act of self-love has to look like a spa evening or a perfectly planned routine.
Sometimes it’s sorting out something you’ve been avoiding. Sometimes it’s going to bed earlier. Sometimes it’s deciding you’re not doing something anymore.
If you’re not sure where to start this Valentine’s Day, here are a few ideas that feel practical and grown-up, not performative.
1. Run a Bath and Stay as Long as You Like
Just for one night, avoid taking a rushed shower or a quick soak before bed.
Run a bath, add salts or oils if you have them, dim the lights, and leave your phone in another room.
Stay in the bath longer than you normally would and let your body fully relax instead of thinking about what’s next.
Water has a way of softening tension you didn’t realise you were holding.
2. Dim the Lights and Play Music You Love
Lower lighting signals to your nervous system that it’s safe to unwind. Put on music that makes you feel something - calm, nostalgic, uplifted.
Sit on the floor and stretch gently to release tension, or lie on the sofa and just listen.
You don’t have to multitask. Just be in it.
3. Try a Short Meditation
We often think we don’t have time in our busy lives to meditate, but you don’t have to carve out an hour - five or ten minutes can be enough.
Sit comfortably and focus on your breathing. If your mind wanders, notice it and return to your breath.
You are not trying to “clear” your thoughts. You are creating space between you and them.
That space is powerful.
4. Cook Something from Scratch
Choose a meal that feels comforting and satisfying. Chop the vegetables slowly, use good ingredients, and taste as you go.
Cooking can be deeply grounding because it engages your senses - smell, texture, sound.
When you prepare food intentionally, you send yourself a clear message: I am worth the effort.
5. Go for a Walk in Nature
If you can, head somewhere green or where there is running water. The woods, a local park, or a coastal path are perfect.
Walk without rushing. Notice the air on your skin and the sound under your feet. Listen to the birds and, if you’re feeling it, why not hug a tree?
Nature regulates the nervous system in ways we often underestimate. Even twenty minutes can lower stress levels and steady your breathing.
6. Create a Small Evening Ritual
Instead of ending the day by collapsing into bed or scrolling until you’re exhausted, try creating a simple evening ritual that signals closure.
Light a candle, dim the overhead lights, and put your phone out of reach.
Cleanse your skin slowly, noticing the temperature of the water and the texture of the product.
Apply your moisturiser with intention, massaging it into your face and hands rather than rushing through the motions. Let it absorb and take your time.
If you dry body brush in the morning, this could be your softer counterpart in the evening - something grounding and unhurried.
You might pair this with calming music, a herbal tea, or a few quiet minutes of reflection before sleep.
When you treat your nightly routine as time for yourself rather than another task, it shifts the energy of the entire day.
You move from “switching off” to consciously winding down, and your body feels the difference.
Practicing Self-love Every Day with Arella
Practicing self-love this Valentine’s Day is a good place to start, but remember that focusing on you is not a one-day event.
At Arella, we’ve created a range of supplements and wellbeing tools designed to support those steady, daily rituals - carving out moments to connect with yourself every single day.
From your morning supplement and smoothie routine to your evening quiet time, where you wind down and reflect on your day, these small habits create rhythm and are the building blocks of self-love.
Take a look at our range of supplements and wellness accessories here.
Connect with us on Facebook or Instagram for regular reminders to focus on your own needs.
