Hey Selfie & Such-ers! I have an important question to ask: Will you be my valentine? Better yet, will you be your own valentine? Every year, millions spend this day that’s dedicated to love, single, alone and miserable. But why? Who said romantic love shared with a partner is the only kind that can be celebrated today? Mhm. That’s right, no one. For those wondering, national Self-Love Day is February 13th, why not make it a two day soiree? This valentine’s day, feed your senses!
Wait, what? Feed your senses? How do you do that? The five basic human senses are: sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch. Each sense is connected to an organ that helps you have an experience. We are able to experience sight because of our eyes. We can hear because of our ears. We can smell because of our noses and taste with our tongues/mouth. Last but not least, we can feel touch because of our skin. When was the last time you turned your full attention to each of your senses? When was the last time you were able to give gratitude for such simple pleasures in life? The answer is most likely ‘Not ever’ — and that’s okay. We live busy lives and it’s easy to take for granted all that our bodies are already programmed to do. But today, we will be changing that.
Today we will take part in activities that are dedicated to bringing each of our senses alive. Any activity you choose will most likely have the involvement of more than one sense. This engagement of more than one sense adds to the experience as a whole. The secret though, is to be in the moment, keep your consciousness on the activity and sense you are tending to. The practice of Five Acts of Self-Love: Simplified caters to each one of your senses with full intention and to help you feel the love that comes from taking care of yourself!
So, what should you choose to do? Well, anything really, as long as your senses enjoy it! It might seem odd but different parts of your body and senses have minds of their own. They feel loved and nourished in their own way. All you have to do is ask and follow the feeling that sparks a glow in you. Start off by asking what your sense needs. Then ask what your sense enjoys. Last ask what activity in this moment would help your sense feel the most loved. I know it sounds strange, but I promise you will come up with unique ways to engage your senses. Ultimately, you will learn more about how to love and care for your physical reality, your body.
Do this with me! I’d recommend writing down your answers in a journal to keep track of what your senses need, want and what you were able to do. There are no ‘wrong’ answers. Whatever your body asks for in this moment, follow through with it. Even if it feels weird or unlike yourself — especially if you’re about to use the excuse, “I have a million other things to do on my list”. Take care of yourself first! Everything else can wait. It is you before all else.
I’m going to start off with my sight. What do my eyes need? Rest. What do my eyes enjoy? Warm compresses and watching something sappy. What activity in this moment would help my eyes feel the most loved? Being moisturized and massaged before taking a nap with warm compresses. Then waking up to watch ‘To All the Boys: Always and Forever’. It’s as simple as that! I’m going to place my moisturizer in the fridge for a bit so it can have a cooling effect while I massage it around my eye area. An easy DIY for warm compresses is to grab two new socks, fill them with some uncooked rice, use a rubber band to keep the tops closed and heat them in the microwave for 25 seconds. You can change the time depending on desired warmth. I’m also going to set up my laptop next to me on my bed so I can watch my sappy movie as soon as I wake up from my nap.
The next sense I will be focusing on is hearing. What do my ears need? A quick rinse to help them feel fresh. Random? Absolutely! I almost never go out of my way mid-day to give my ears a rise. But guess what? My ears shall have what they want. Moving on, What do my ears enjoy? Music! What activity in this moment would help my ears feel the most loved? A fresh-up while listening to some killer tunes. And so, I will be putting on some of my favorite songs, grabbing a washcloth, running it under lukewarm water and wiping down my ears and the area around them. Like mother always says, “Don’t forget the back of your ears!”
Now for the sense of smell, what does my nose need? Moisturizing. What does my nose enjoy? Smelling yummy or floral scents. What activity in this moment would help my nose feel the most loved? Being moisturized and smelling candles, popcorn and pizza. This is perfect! When I moisturize my eyes, I’ll moisturize my nose and probably the rest of my face too, cause why not? Afterwards, I’ll make some popcorn to go with my movie and have pizza for dinner!
I think it’s a given if you say popcorn and pizza you automatically start salivating for it. But let’s still do this for taste. What does my mouth need? Mouthwash for a fresh clean feeling. What does my mouth enjoy? Eating yummy flavorful foods. What activity in this moment would help my mouth feel loved? Being refreshed, eating some popcorn and greasy pizza with a side of pepsi! Check, check, check and check. After my nap, I will rinse my mouth with my minty mouthwash. Munch on popcorn during my movie. For dinner, indulge in some carb-loaded slices of zaa while sipping my sugary, fizzy drink. And we cant forget some chocolate ice cream with brownie chunks for dessert!
Lastly, for touch, what does my skin need? Moisturizing. What does my skin enjoy? Being massaged. What activity in this moment would help my skin feel loved? Being massaged with oil then taking a bath. I don’t know about you, but I tend to get sleepy after a relaxing bath, so I’ll be saving this for when I’m getting ready for bed.
The answers you come up with for your senses may be different than mine and that’s the beauty of this practice! Each individual will have activities catered specifically for them. There are no wrong answers here. Remember the secret: be in the moment, keep your consciousness on the activity and sense you are tending to. What do I mean by that? Well, when doing any activity, bring your attention to ONLY that activity. Clear your mind and pay attention to your own body language. The warm compress on my eyes alleviates the pressure caused by constantly working them day-in and day-out. The pressure and warmth add a soothing feeling to my sinuses. Colorful explosions burst behind my eyelids. I’m taking in the music I’m listening to. Really feeling it. Allowing my body to move to its rhythm. I’m focusing on the different smells in the air. Trying to identify the different notes the candle is composed of. Mmmm! I smell popcorn. It’s buttery and slightly salty just the way I like. And Oh..My..Goodness! The first bite of that delicious pizza is just heaven! Really slowing down and experiencing it all. Zeroing in on how the textures of the crust absorbs the tomato sauce. How the cheese and toppings perfectly blanket over in each bite. Absolutely delectable! Romanticize the simple pleasures in life.
The practice of Five Acts of Self-Love: Simplified caters to each one of your senses with full intention and to feel the love that comes from taking care of yourself! This technique is not limited to valentine’s day, you can indulge in acts of self-love at any point throughout the year. Anytime you are feeling like a little extra tender loving care, feed your senses!
Last but not least, I have a writing activity for you. I want you to write yourself a love letter. Yes, a handwritten romantic, love letter to yourself! It might seem silly, but I swear by it. Gush over yourself! List out what are things about you that you love. What are things in your life you are thankful for? Go into details of what you’ve done for yourself this weekend that have made you feel loved and taken care of. What are a few things you hope to accomplish for the coming year? What are some affirmations you want to embody? Who is this person you are growing into? What are some things you need to hear right now? Maybe it’s “I Love You”, “I am Proud of You”, “You Are Enough”, or “You Are Special”. Whatever it may be, give that validation to yourself.
Now take the letter, in pure To All The Boy’s fashion, put it away in a box in the back of your closet. Set a reminder on your phone for a year from now. Next valentines day, you can open this letter and remind yourself you are your own home, everything you need, you were born with.
With Much Love,
Till next time, my Selfie & Such-ers!
XOXO
— S
