To Me,
In a world that benefits off of productivity, insecurity, and ignoring problems over care, I want to remind us that it’s worth it to prioritize ourself, especially when we need to. Overwork and ignoring our pain and issues causes way more stress than tackling it immediately, healing our mind and body in order to move with our best foot forward. Self-love and compassion is not narcissistic; it’s not selfishness, a grandiose sense-of-self, or mindless self-indulgence. It’s treating ourself with kindness, and forgiving ourselves when we are not performing at 100%. We are human, after all.
We should be our own Valentine this year, and find out how to better support our mental and physical health. Part of this is taking a step back on our period, especially because it can come with so much pain and fatigue. Thankfully, since switching to period underwear, it has made it a whole lot easier, not having to constantly worry about the heaviness and coverage of our leak protection has taken a lot of stress out of it. However, what comes with heavy period flows is a lack of iron and a need to slow down.
We need to advocate for time off during those heavy days in order to recharge and be our best self. We might think we are too busy to put things on hold for a day or two, but if we don’t, it leads to problems down the road. Not enough rest grants us a whole host of problems that stack up on top of each other. We need to embrace the concept of period love along with self-love! Cycle awareness and self-care have become the heart-warming subplot of our love story. By understanding our body's natural rhythm, we can navigate each phase with finesse.
Having those one or two days of rest and compassion is paramount; focus on what brings us pleasure in our down times. We shouldn’t be so hard on ourself all the time! This Valentine’s day will be our heaviest day according to our period tracking app. How can we find joy and comfort on this day and forward? Doing more art? Meditation? Nature walks? Sitting on the couch comfy in my Charlie shorts and watching a romantic movie, or four?
We know that self-love does not mean that we don’t care for others, but the opposite, because we often recognize our shortcomings and extend kindness to ourself, we can share the same compassion with others.
So, my love, this Valentine's Day, let's renew our vow to be our first love. Whether we're treating ourselves to the comfort and care of leak proof undies, prioritizing sexual health, or simply revelling in the quirky beauty of our menstrual cycle, let's celebrate this rom-com called life.
Love,
Me
