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10 Easy Ways to Show Yourself Some Love

Small acts of wellness can be quick moments in your day.

By ‘How Menopause Almost Upended—And Then Saved Our Marriage’

12 Puzzle Advent Calendars That’ll Help Keep Your Brain Sharp This Upcoming Holiday Season

Stronger Than Ever

February 10, 2025 3:48 pm

Easy Ways to Show Self Love — Design: Marie Raton/Flow Space

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‘Tis the season of love, and while you’re definitely used to sharing your love with significant others, kids, family members and friends, it’s important to save enough for yourself.

One major way to fill your self-love cup is to take care of your health. This can mean a variety of different things.

“Cultivating self-love through wellness doesn’t have to be complicated or time-consuming,” says Dr. Golee Abrishami, a clinical psychologist and head of clinical care at the mental health care company Octave. “Sometimes, it’s the smallest acts of self care that can make the biggest impact—like using your favorite lotion or taking a moment to enjoy a nice bath.”

These small acts of wellness can be quick moments in your day.

For example, a dose of positive self-talk is just as important to feeling well as getting enough fiber in your breakfast and making sure all of your doctors’ visits and screenings are set on the calendar.

We’re giving you full permission to focus on you—and only you. Here’s advice straight from mental health and integrative health experts on how to show yourself some love.

Swap Out Alcohol for a Mocktail

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As much as a cocktail takes the edge off, it doesn’t do you any favors when it comes to preventative health. Alcohol consumption can be linked to cancer risk, and its effects may hit you harder during menopause.

“Alcohol impairs mitochondrial function, and lowers your heart rate variability,” explains Dr. Sara Szal Gottfried, a women’s health expert and medical advisor to ŌURA.

Lowering your overall alcohol consumption can be the best move for your brain and heart health as well as your liver health.

“By reducing alcohol consumption to a minimum, you free up your liver to focus on other toxins,” adds Gottfried.

She recommends swapping out your drink for something zero-proof, like a fun Michelada de Soda, a mocktail she discovered on a recent Costa Rica trip. Its ingredients are simple: sparkling water, fresh lime, fresh mint leaves and a glass rimmed with tajin, or chili spice, salt and citrus.
Book Preventative Care Screenings

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“February is Cancer Prevention Month. Get a jump on safeguarding your long-term health by ensuring you have all of your cancer screenings scheduled for the year,” says Dr. Sajad Zalzala, co-founder and medical director of AgelessRx.

You don’t even have to travel for all your appointments and may be eligible to do at-home screenings, like checking for colon cancer in a way that’s quick, private and easy.

You can also learn more about your genetic risk for certain cancers, including breast cancer and colorectal cancer, with a preventative testing kit like 23andMe+ Premium.
Do an Activity That Brings You Joy

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If you’re having a day that’s making you hyper-focused on the negative about yourself, Abrishami suggests redirecting that energy—especially since those negative thoughts can be associated with higher inflammation and a weakened immune system as a result, according to 2023 research.

“Try doing an activity that brings you joy or puts you in your happy place—whether that is baking, listening to music or going on a long walk,” she says. “These activities can help you detach from a stressful situation, shift your mindset and practice being mindful in the present moment.”
Reset Your Circadian Rhythm With Some Sunlight

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Struggling to get a full night’s sleep post-menopause? It may be that your circadian rhythm, the internal sleep-wake clock your body runs on, needs a refresh.

One way to do that is catching some rays to wake yourself up in the morning.

“Get natural sunlight first thing in the morning for 20 to 30 minutes, and even longer on a cloudy day,” says Gottfried.

You should aim to sleep seven to eight-and-a-half hours each night to lengthen your health span, she adds.

If you’re not reaching that benchmark, you might consider getting yourself a wearable, such as the Oura Ring, to better track your sleep patterns and understand what’s not working.

After those nights of less sleep, treat yourself to a daytime nap, Gottfried advises.
Commit to a Simple Meditation Practice Each Day

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It can be difficult to start and stick to a meditation routine. But if you can set aside just five minutes a day, you can reap the brain benefits.

“Meditation is associated with lowering pro-inflammatory factors and stimulating neuroplasticity, which declines with age and leads to neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s,” says Zalzala.

He recommends finding a comfy spot to stand, sit or lay on, and attempt to square your breathing so that you’re breathing in for two counts (or four counts) and then breathing out for the equal amount of counts. Note where your thoughts land.

“Witnessing thoughts and letting them pass, without judging them or getting mentally pulled away by them, is a successful meditation,” adds Zalala.
Reschedule Plans When You Need to Set a Boundary

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This isn’t an excuse to flake out on your friends all the time, but setting an occasional boundary can have a positive effect on your mental health by preserving your emotional energy and even putting you in a healthier state of mind, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

“Setting boundaries for people and situations that bring you down can help protect yourself and promote self-love,” says Abrishami. “Protect your peace by saying ‘no’ to things that drain your energy.”

You might reschedule a get-together with a friend that feels draining after an anxiety-producing week or prioritize a workout instead of working late, suggests Abrishami. It can even look like changing topics when someone is gossiping with you or crossing a chore off your to-do list so you can just relax and do nothing.
Have Some Chocolate When You Want

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Enjoy some chocolate, the ultimate way to show yourself some love. Savoring the moment is just as important as what you’re eating, says Zalzala.

“Instead of stressing over every ingredient, focus on balance and moderation,” he adds. “While a few holiday treats won’t hurt, excessive starch and hidden sugars in everyday foods—like bread, pasta and processed snacks—are the real culprits when it comes to blood sugar spikes, inflammation and premature aging. Making sure you have plenty of fiber in your diet (plus protein and healthy fats) is the key.”

We also love a fiber-rich treat like Harken The Gooey One, which is made with dates that taste just like the center of a caramelly Milky Way.
Give Yourself a Pep Talk

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Instead of getting down on yourself when something little gets you down, like saying the wrong thing, not speaking up or not showing up exactly the way you want to, find a way to forgive yourself each time and remind yourself about what you have done correctly.

“Forgiving yourself daily can help you strengthen self-compassion, relieve unnecessary guilt and ease stress,” says Abrishami. Rephrasing your self-talk is one way to eschew the negative thoughts.

She recommends psychologist and neuroscientist Ethan Kross’ method of distanced self-talk. Using it involves speaking to yourself and addressing yourself by name instead of by “me” or “I.”

“This might sound like, ‘Golee, you are strong and you can do this,'” suggests Abrishami. “It can help you reframe negative self-talk while maintaining some space.”
Get in 20 Minutes of Cardio

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Showing yourself love also means protecting your heart, the core of all your bodily systems, says Zalzala.

You should always know your risk factors for heart disease, including your cholesterol levels, but another way to nourish your heart is a 20 minute daily cardio practice to help prevent chronic disease.

A jump rope session can help you boost your heart rate, muscular endurance and muscle tone, according to Zalzala, but a brisk walk uphill on a walking pad or a jog out in nature can also do the trick.
Apply Some Sunscreen, Even in the Winter

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One self-love moment that you can do in under a minute is taking care of your skin with sunscreen.

“The skin is the largest organ of the body and serves as our first line of defense against pathogens and environmental stressors (like toxins and UV rays from the sun),” explains Zalzala. “Sun exposure is one of the biggest sources of oxidative stress and the most impactful accelerator of skin aging over time.”

Your daily self-love assignment for your skin is applying mineral sunscreen with broad-spectrum protection, an SPF of at least 30, in the morning. Yes, it’s important to practice this even in the winter.

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