Keep Love Alive After Valentine’s Day is Done

Did you celebrate Valentine’s Day? It may have taken a little extra planning, but the results were well worth your effort. Love, more than any other action is a healing balm to the mind, body and soul. Love creates energy, hope and mental and physical health.

Emerging science tells us there are steps we can take to heal our hearts and souls especially during stressful times. So even though Valentine’s Day has come and gone, planting the seeds of love can continue heal your mind, body and soul all year long.
 

Simple Tips to Keep Love and You Alive
1. Gratitude. Develop an attitude of gratitude. It is physiologically impossible to be stressed and grateful simultaneously. When you experience stress, immediately smile and repeat something you are grateful for such as your health, your family, or the life you’ve been given. Repeat after me, “I am grateful for my loving dog.”

2. Color. Shift from these winter doldrums and wear your favorite color. Color is energy and creates passion and joy. Hint, purple is the number one color this year. It is the color of spirituality, happiness and hope. Put on a purple scarf, sweater or socks.

3. Flowers. Just get one flower you love. Research from a Harvard study found a simple bouquet of fresh flowers in your home or office can help you can worry less, reduce anxiety and boost your kindness and compassion. Replenish your Valentine’s vase with inexpensive flowers like tulips (maybe purple?) and immerse yourself in love and hope.

4. Email. Email all the people you love regularly. Connect with those you love and tell them you’re thinking of them. You are spreading love virally and heaven knows we all need to experience love these days. Research shows isolation can lead to chronic disease while the benefits of a community provide physical, mental, and spiritual growth and well-being. Make sure the subject line reads, “Why I love you!”

5. Food. Food glues us together and creates the ritual that sustains us through these tough times. Keep chocolates within reach long after Valentine’s Day is done. Research shows a daily dose of dark chocolate can lower blood pressure, reduce the risk of stroke, coronary heart disease and death from all causes. Chocolate affect the levels of endorphins in the brain too, lowering depression and stress hormone levels. Chocolate kiss anyone?

6. Music. Download your favorite music to your iPod and find five minutes in the morning and in the afternoon to listen to music, dance, or sing to de-stress. Listening to your favorite music releases the calming chemical serotonin into your body and singing can give you an immune boost. “Love, love me do, you know I love you…..” yes, the let the love of the Beatles or your favorite band lift your soul.

7. Water. Shower or bathe with your favorite scent everyday. Cherish your precious body and love every part of your body as you bathe and be grateful for your health. Water cleanses and relaxes the mind and body. For an extra zap of love, sing your favorite song as you lather up or take the shower with someone you love.

8. Positive Self Talk. Create a positive affirmation you love such as “Keep letting go, all is well, or I am in balance”. Throughout your day repeat this short saying to yourself and reduce stress and create love. We have over 60,000 thoughts a day and many of them are negative. Research tells us individuals who memorize affirmations have lower stress levels than those who do not repeat affirmations in stressful times. Say it in your car, at work, in the shower and before bed. Your heart loves to hear it is loved!