Make this Valentine's Day about YOU!
Claire Nelson- Perth College UHI Student Support Worker - shares her tips on how not to get weighed down this Valentine’s Day, and how you can make it about you!
Treat yourself right
If you’re waiting for a partner to come along to treat you right, wait no longer. You can start today, on yourself! What does it mean to be treating yourself right in life? It includes how you speak to yourself, the people you choose to be around, what you choose to do with yourself in your free time, and how you nourish your body. Treating yourself could be as simple as a trip to the movies, a neck massage, a gym session - or it could be removing yourself from negative and toxic relationships. Have a think about the people in your life right now - do they bring something to your life, or do they take something away? If your answer is the latter, you may want to put some boundaries in place.
Talk to yourself kindly
All too often we talk to ourselves really badly. ‘That was a stupid thing of me’ or, ‘I’m such an idiot, why did I do that?’ When we engage in this type of inner dialogue, this becomes the voice you hear more loudly and frequently. And as a result, you lose sight of your positive inner voice. When you recognise your negative inner thoughts coming up, try replacing them with more positive and softer words. By changing the way we talk to ourselves, we are less likely to talk badly or punish ourselves unnecessarily.
Positive self-talk mantras
Here are some positive self-talk mantras to practice:
I am allowed to say no. My boundaries are important
If I give it enough time, things will fall into place
I don’t need to do more than you are, I just need to breathe
Spend time on your own doing nothing
Yes, it can be that simple. A lot of the time we are busying ourselves, listening to something, texting someone back, watching something, and sometimes we are trying to do many of these things at once. Have you ever just taken the time to slow this all down, to take back the control and put your phone away? Or switch the TV off and not be rushing around ‘doing’ all the time? What tends to happen is you get some breathing space, time to think and to process your thoughts. This is all really healthy stuff. When we don’t allow ourselves the head space to think things through, we can become stressed and anxious - because we are unaware of how we feel, and this can be confusing.
What is it you would really like to do?
Allow yourself some time to engage in something you would really like to do. It might be something you’ve put off because you’ve told yourself you don’t have the time to do it. It may be something new you’ve been wanting to try, it could be something that will really challenge you, or it could be something that makes you feel really comforted. Whatever you are feeling the drive to do, go do it!
Why not take some time out to exercise the body and mind? Did you know that exercise releases endorphins that provide you with the feel-good factor, and as a result, helps to improve your self-esteem and confidence? Mandy MacDonald, Gym and Fitness Manager at the Academy of Sport and Wellbeing, has teamed up with the Student Support team to offer free gym trials during the whole of Valentine’s week. Already a member? Make sure you try out Mandy’s workout of the week and the Valentine’s themed spin!
If you are facing personal or academic problems, please remember that our Student Support teams are available to help you overcome any barriers that might get in the way of you completing your course. Find out how you can get support.
