There’s a reason why Valentine’s brings so much angst, and I’d argue it has to do with it’s origins. Valentine’s is thought to have originated from a Roman festival which included a ritual where men sacrificed animals. The men then whipped the women (who would be lining up) with the animals’ hides for the purpose of increasing fertility. Another highlight of the festival was a matchmaking lottery, where men drew the names of women from a jar to couple off. Can someone say SWOON?
It’s time we rebrand V-day once and for all *cues Beyonce
Whether you’re single or coupled or somewhere in between, here are the best gifts you can give YOURSELF this V-day.
Spark Your Own Joy and Treat Yourself
You heard me, I hereby give you permission to channel your inner Marie Kondo and invest in something that sparks joy. If you’re going to buy something, invest in something that will add to your health and wellness.
Here are some gifts that I’ve invested in that have paid dividends in high vibes (and yes, I say invest because the returns of self-care are priceless).
Look Ma, I’m a Chef!
While I was quite proud of my 5-minute breakfast sandwich dude, I’m now on to making much more fancier meals.
I’ve never fancied myself as a cook, but the Brava Oven has forever changed that. The Tesla of smart ovens, the Brava uses infrared light to bake, sear, toast, and even air fry food. The air fry circulates hot air around your ingredients using a tenth of the oil – so you can enjoy chicken wings and crispy fries without the side of guilt. It also has a dehydrate function and you can make fruit-rollup to beef jerky with just a click of a button. This makes cooking convenient, fast and fun. Some features I love:
- Cooks 2X faster than conventional ovens. Plus there’s no need to preheat, as the 6 halogen lamps go from zero to 500 degrees in less than a second
- There’s a camera so you can spy on your food from your phone
- Partitioned cooking means on one tray – you can cook your veggies, protein and sides all at once. No more needing to multi-task and juggle the cook time of different ingredients.
There’s already hundreds of pre-set recipes that have been tried and tested by professional chefs, so all you have to do is gather the ingredients, press the button, and voila!
Vibe Out with a Crystal Therapy Mat
13 pounds of natural amethyst crystals, mixed with photon light therapy and infrared technology in one magic healing mat? Yes please. The HealthyLine infrared therapy mat that has been shown to increase circulation, decrease inflammation and reduce sore muscles. It uses PEMF therapy (Pulsed Electromagnetic Field technology) which has been proven to recharge and repair cells. It’s now part of my daily evening ritual, where I lay on the mat to wind down and calm my nervous system before bed so I can get a good night’s sleep.
Get Relationship Literate
They don’t teach you in grade school how to deal with the complex emotions of being human, let alone how to deal with the emotions of others! Relationships require knowledge, skill and practice. You learn how to become good at relationships by the very process of messing up, learning, applying the knowledge, and doing better the next time.
There are a lot of books out there that can help you with this. Breakup Bootcamp: The Science of Rewiring Your Heart is one of them. Other books I recommend are: Facing Codependence by Pia Mellody, Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself by Joe Dispenza, Power Vs Force by David R. Hawkins, The Truth by Neil Strauss and Crucial Conversations.
Throw Yourself a Living Funeral
Have you ever read the memoir, Tuesdays with Morrie – when the professor who is dying of ALS throws himself a living funeral? Why wait until he’s dead to hear all the wonderful things people had to say about him, he thought. It might sound crazy, but Morrie was on to something. Why do we wait to tell the people we love how we feel about them? Well, with companies like Tribute.co – you can get your closest friends to record a clip of what they love about you the most, and they will create a lovely video montage for you. During those moments when you’re feeling lonely, or just need a pick me up, watch the video to remind yourself how loved you are.
Make every day a Valentine’s Day
You don’t need to wait for a holiday to do something special for yourself or for someone you love. Feeling lonely? Share your love with someone who needs it. Send flowers. Take your mom on a date. Surprise someone. Whatever you want more of, give it away. You spark the circuit and eventually that energy circulates and comes back.
Take care of your heart, your body, your mind and your soul my loves.
My Work Doesn’t Make My WORTH