Mindful Valentine's Day Tips

Valentine’s Day may seem like such a commercialized holiday with grand romantic gestures, chocolates, champagne and fancy meals. More importantly, it’s a time to reflect on the important relationships in our lives. We can all benefit from showing gratitude and appreciating the love that we have in life, be it friends, family or colleagues. Valentine’s Day is a good reminder to show others that we love them and care about them.

Check out these three simple ways you can deepen your relationships, courtesy of www.Mindful.org:

First, fall in love with yourself. To connect more deeply with others, we must face the one person that we keep on the shortest leash: ourselves. We often reject other people’s care or attention when we believe we don’t deserve it—but there’s nothing special you must do to deserve love. As Sharon Salzberg reminds us, it is simply because you exist. Follow this fifteen-minute guided meditation to open your heart toward giving and receiving love.

Then, break up with your phone. In movies, people often gaze into the eyes of the person they love—but in reality, we spend more time gazing at the glowing screens of our smartphones. It’s a damaging habit that can distract us from in-person conversations and real-world experiences with people we care about. Here are six tips to keep your smartphone from hurting your relationships.

Finally, remember the little things. Strengthening your relationship with someone doesn’t require an elaborate date or weekend-long outing. Small gestures—like making eye contact, or following through on plans—can be just as impactful over time. Explore these 11 ways you can foster connection and create deep bonds with the people in your life.

I wish all of you a mindful and happy Valentine’s Day.

Love Claudia