It’s February! The month of deep winter here in Vermont, the shortest month of the year, and of course, thanks to the ancient traditions surrounding what we now call Valentine’s Day, the month of love.

While Valentine’s traditions are all about bestowing love upon others, this year I find myself thinking about what it would really mean to love ourselves.

Self-care gets lots of airtime….

…But I’m not thinking about baths, tea and massages. I mean, ok, I’m always thinking about baths, tea and massages.

But what I’m really contemplating is not only what it means to give ourselves TLC, but what it truly means to love ourselves. Deep-seeded, nurturing, grace-filled love.

We spend a lot of time thinking about who we need to be to please others, how we can meet expectations, and what we need to change or improve. None of that strikes me as particularly loving.

How many of us can say we feel deep affection for ourselves, or deeply enjoy our own company? How many of us can say we give ourselves the same generosity, patience, and support that we give the people we love most?

I believe loving ourselves would change the way we live our lives and shift our internal landscapes. And I believe we could love each other more powerfully if we truly loved ourselves.

So, how do we get there?

I’ve decided to explore that question this February.

I am creating a simple program I will run on Instagram – a program to help us all practice loving ourselves like we deserve to be loved. The details are steeping, but follow me on Instagram to catch the updates and join me for the journey.

Here’s my challenge to you this month:

Every night as you climb into bed, think about something loving, kind, supportive, or generous you said to someone that day. Now…say it to yourself. Spoiler alert: It will feel strange! But keep at it. See if you can get better, over the course of the month, at allowing yourself to receive the same love you give to others.

Feel free to let me know how it goes! I’ll be curious.

Yours in self-love,

Lindsay

Lindsay B. Jernigan, Ph.D.
Licensed Psychologist – Doctorate
Eastern View Integrative Medicine
185 Tilley Dr. #14
South Burlington, VT 05403
802-229-8270
drlindsayjernigan.com
instagram.com/dr.lindsayjernigan

P.S. – As always, Resilience, my mental health e-course, is available through my website for individuals with group pricing for organizational use. Are you a therapist who wants to resource people while they wait to see you? Send me an email so I can make it easy and give you a discount code!

P.P.S. – I was honored to contribute to an article in Forbes recently about the use of digital tools for mental health services. Give it a read.