Whilst Valentine’s Day is traditionally a couple’s day, I’ve decided that after a rough January I’m going to have a Valentine’s Day for One. A day of self-care, recharging my batteries is just what I need! And as this year Valentine’s Day falls on a Thursday, hubby will be at work anyway so I won’t be ignoring him! Plus it’s the last day of term before the school holiday, so my time won’t be my own for a good ten days!

It may sound a bit self-indulgent but I really think it’s important we all make time for ourselves and our mental health. January can be a tough month to get through. We all miss the fun of Christmas, money is tight and the weather is terrible! That’s enough to bring you down. And for me we had some added drama of a family emergency, plus the usual juggling of kids, work and home. My deadline for book 2 was 1st February so it seems timely that by the time I’ve caught up on everything else Valentine’s Day will be with us and I can have a sneaky day off.

So what exactly does self-care mean? To me it means giving myself a day off. As a writer, I’m lucky to be able to work from home, but I often work 7 days a week, especially with a deadline looming. So I’m going to have a complete day off. I might even ignore all social media for a day! I’m not going to workout either! I’m going to sit and binge-watch Netflix! Anyone on Twitter will know I’ve become slightly obsessed with Aidan Turner so I might have to watch Poldark! At some point I’ll have a nice hot, relaxing bath with candles, maybe some music playing and I’ll take the time to use some of the lotions and potions I was given at Christmas.

I’ll still have to cook dinner, walk the dog and get the kids to and from school, but those few hours the kids are out of the house and there’s nothing but quiet will be thoroughly enjoyed!

 

What are your self-care plans for this year? How will you be spending your Valentine’s Day? Let me know in the comments below!