ACTs of Loving Kindness

ACT on 2021

It’s February. A month about love.

February is a month where acts of loving kindness seem to be all we think about. Love pertains to so many relationships. Love for our children, our family, a pet, or someone special.

All too often though, on Valentine’s Day, we think only about a romantic love from another.

On Valentine’s Day and the rest of February, make time to perform acts of loving kindness for yourself. Carve out this special time. This has been such a hard and challenging time for humanity. Many people are hurting badly right now. Emotionally and physically people feel exhausted and depleted. Perhaps you’ve suffered a difficult loss this year and are grieving. If you find yourself in this situation right now, make time this month to act with loving kindness towards yourself.

Creating ways to love yourself is not selfish. When we travel on a plane, they always ask us to put on our own oxygen masks first and then attend to others. This is the same with self-care. Our acts of loving kindness help us tremendously. Then and only then can we attend to someone else.

In 2021, it is more important than ever to attend to our own self-care in some way every day. We must start with ourselves so we have more strength and love to share. Others might need it too, but remember to start with loving yourself.

50 Nuggets of Wisdom

When I turned 50, I came up with 50 nuggets of wisdom I’d learned over the years. Several of them are acts of loving kindness that could be utilized this month.

1- Walk in the Woods

Nature is healing. Find time to be in it. Alone or with a companion. It’s replenishing. Even if you can’t do it every day, find time this month to recharge that primal need for trees, snow, nature, ocean, rivers, mountains, something that fills up your soul.

2- Make Your Bed

Imagine how it feels to come to your bedroom at the end of the day and it’s a huge mess, sheets everywhere, comforter on the floor. Now imagine instead you find your bed made. A welcome greeting to yourself. It only takes a couple of minutes in the morning, and in the evening when you find your bed made it says, “Welcome back, you are important and tonight this lovely bed invites you to come on in for a good night’s sleep.” Well maybe it doesn’t say exactly that but try it for a week. See if it makes a difference.

3- Drink Tea 

Get yourself some good tea. Brew it properly with boiling water and steep it the appropriate amount of time. Pour it into a real teacup or nice mug. Hold onto the warm drink and sip it leisurely, quitely. This is one of my daily sacred luxuries. There is something healing about enjoying a warm cup of team and mindfully.

4- Buy Yourself Flowers

An old lady who sold flowers at the farmers market once told me, “Food feeds the body and flowers feed the soul.” I couldn’t agree more. Buy yourself some flowers this week for your home.

5- Write Yourself a Love Note

Take out a nice piece of stationary or a note card. Write yourself a love note. Remind yourself of the wonderful, kind, loving traits you possess. Recall how proud you are of yourself and the resilience you’ve shown during this past year. Sign and stamp it. Send it to yourself as a reminder that you are loved immensely this month, and always.

6- Take a Bubble Bath

Candles, bubbles, a piece of dark chocolate. Need I say more? Don’t own a bathtub, use your shower and indulge in some lovely soap and a loofa. Put on some music and light some candles, enjoy a longer than usual mindful shower. This could become a daily ritual.

Now, Remind Yourself!

Simple acts of loving kindness remind you of your importance. Taking time to honor yourself. I hope this helps you confidently make acts of loving kindness this February. For others, but also yourself. Happy Valentine’s Day. 

How do you show yourself kindness? Join the conversation with us on LinkedIn.