Valentine’s Day: More than Heart Emojis and Candy
For many, Valentine’s Day has become too commercialized. It has been touted as just another holiday to spend money on a card, chocolates, and expensive flowers. And yes, we should show love to our loved ones more than just one day a year – but what if we brought back the excitement of it all? Remember when you were a kid and how excited you felt to share and receive a simple valentine’s note from your friends? Valentine’s Day could quite literally be as simple as taking the time to write a quick note to your friends and loved ones, letting them know how much you appreciate them. And if Valentine’s Day happens to be your yearly reminder to share your appreciation and love, so be it! Studies show the benefits of gratitude, hugs, human connection, and self-care (yes, if you are solo on Valentine’s Day, show yourself some love!) can reap many health benefits, both for you and those you share the love with. Here are some non-commercial ways you can celebrate Valentine’s Day this year:
Homemade Valentine’s Day cards: Color and personalize your own Valentine's Day cards and share a little note of gratitude in each one. Coloring can reduce stress and anxiety, improve motor skills, and vision, and improve sleep and focus. The act of showing gratitude improves physical and psychological health, enhances empathy, can improve sleep and self-esteem, and overall can increase your mental strength.
Hug your friends and loved ones: The simple act of hugging sends signals to the brain’s emotional processing networks and cascades neurochemicals like oxytocin and endorphins throughout the body. These neurochemicals can help slow down your heart rate, reduce stress and anxiety levels, and create the immediate feelings of happiness and relaxation. Researchers even found that “huggers,” hands-down are less likely to get a cold – and when they do get a cold, the symptoms are less severe. A hug a day, keeps the doctor away!
Practice self-care: As you “share the love” don’t forget about yourself. By making yourself a priority you are telling yourself that YOU matter, too. This Valentine’s Day we challenge you to practice some self-care by taking a quick walk outside, making yourself a nutritious meal, disconnecting from social media for a bit, and spending some quality time on a hobby you enjoy. You may reap some immediate health benefits like reduced stress and anxiety, better sleep, improved productivity, and more positive thinking.
From our Vivacity team, Happy Valentine’s Day and we appreciate you! @Hannah Morishita created this amazing little “how to” origami video for you. We hope it empowers you to spend time this Valentine’s Day connecting with your creative side and sharing the love. You can also find this on our Instagram page – so be sure to connect with us there.
