6 Ways To Practice Self-Care This February

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February Self-Care Ideas — Hello friend, when was the last time you were kind to you?

We’re just over a week into February, and I know you’re already stressing about all the things that need to get done. You’ve got your schedule out and are planning the days and weeks to come. I know, because I’m doing the same thing with you!

I’m so grateful you’re here with me as you plan because I’d like for you to promise me this one thing…

To please add self-care to your schedule this month.

As busy as you are, I know that if you don’t, you’ll miss out on it altogether, and it’s way too important to miss out on.

To help you out, I’ve put together a list of ways you can show yourself some love this month. My hope is that you can add all 6 to your schedule this month, but if you can only manage to squeeze in a few, don’t be so hard on yourself. You’re still showing up for your self-care journey, and you should be so proud of yourself.

No act of self-care is ever too small or insignificant.

Here are some February self-care ideas – six ways you can nourish your mind, body, and spirit this month.

No. 01 | Cooking & Enjoying A Hearty Soup Or Stew (for your physical self-care)

It’s cold, real cold. And if there’s a surefire way to warm up your heart and soul, it’s with a hearty soup or stew. It’s comfort food that you’ll enjoy eating just as much as making!

There are few things quite as satisfying as cooking a meal from scratch and loving it afterwards. The entire process is truly an act of self-care for your mind, body, and spirit.

The Breakdown

This month, your goal is to find a soup or stew recipe online or in a cookbook that looks delicious.

Sticking with the February theme, choose one that features fresh, good-for-you seasonal veggies like sweet potatoes, carrots, cabbages, beets, parsnips, rutabagas, winter squashes, and potatoes. Never had a rutabaga? Your challenge is to try something new!

Make a list of the ingredients you’ll need to pick up at the grocery store and set aside some time to shop and (here’s the fun part) cook your little heart out! ♡♡♡

A very important note

It’s absolutely 100% fine if you mess this up. This is all about the process, not the final outcome.

I want you to blast your favourite songs, dance around the kitchen, and completely immerse yourself in cooking this recipe. There is no time crunch and no one to please. No need for perfection here, just to be fully present.

And hey, if you end up loving your soup or stew in the end, that’s just a cherry on the already perfect sundae. 🙂

Having trouble finding a recipe? Here are two I can’t wait to try!

No. 01 | Curried Butternut Squash and Sweet Potato Soup by twospoons.ca // No. 02 | Lentil and Mushroom Stew over Potato-Parsnip Mash by dishingouthealth.com

No. 02 | Cleansing Your Negative Self-Talk (for your emotional self-care)

Named after Februalia, the Roman festival of purification, February is the perfect time for cleansing and renewing. And when it comes to our negative self-talk, there is no better time than the present to work on clearing our minds of all its toxicity.

What’s self-talk?

Self-talk is the inner dialogue we have with ourselves throughout our day. It helps us understand and process our daily experiences. When it’s positive, this inner voice is encouraging, realistic, and your biggest cheerleader. When it’s negative, this inner voice can cause some real damage.

When negative self-talk becomes excessive and irrational, it can start to interfere with your daily living, and this is where the problem lies.

How to combat your negative self-talk?

I combat my negative inner voice by:

[ 1 ] Recognizing it – paying attention to my thinking and what tone it’s in. Because it’s automatic, we aren’t often fully aware of it
[ 2 ] Challenging it – questioning the negative thought, asking myself, is this thought based on facts? Is it realistic?
[ 3 ] Replacing it – replacing my negative thought with a more productive thought, such as replacing a thought like “I am worthless” with “I am proud of who I am.”
[ 4 ] Practicing – our negative self-talk doesn’t stop overnight. It takes time and effort to reprogram our thinking into healthier thinking patterns. It’s so important to keep practicing!

The Breakdown

This month, I’d like for you to do two things:

1 – Keep a daily journal of your thinking patterns.

In one column, jot down your negative thought, and in a column next to it, jot down a more realistic, productive, based-on-fact thought (that you’ve come to after questioning your initial negative thought). Doing this will help you better understand your thinking patterns and help you get into the habit of replacing them with healthier ones. With practice and over time, replacing these toxic thoughts will become easier and your self-talk more supportive.

2 – Write or choose 1 – 2 positive affirmations that you can say aloud each morning

A positive affirmation is a statement used to challenge a negative and unhelpful thought. By repeating a positive affirmation, you begin to challenge your unhelpful subconscious thinking patterns and replace them with more realistic and helpful ones.

Need some self-love affirmations? Check out this post → 20+ Positive Affirmations For Self-Love

No. 03 | Doing This Meditation For Self-Love (for your spiritual self-care)

The Breakdown

This month, take the time to follow along to this 15-minute self-love meditation. If you enjoy it, try doing it daily! Taking the time to meditate regularly can be incredibly impactful and beneficial to your mind, body, and spirit.

“You, yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.” – Buddha

No. 04 | Watching This Ted Talk On Self-Love (for your intellectual self-care)

The Breakdown

Spend 17 minutes this month watching this Ted Talk by Jen Oliver, the author of the international bestselling book, The Love FitMama Way, on how to love yourself to the core. After watching, reflect on your takeaways and think about some ways you can ignite a deeper, more loving, connection to yourself.

No. 05 | Having A Galentine’s Day Brunch, Lunch, or Dinner (for your social self-care)

Galentine’s Day happens on February 13th, and it’s a day to celebrate your girlfriends!

The Breakdown

This month, set aside some time to spend with your gal pals.

Whether it’s a brunch, lunch, or dinner at a restaurant (if it’s safe to do so!), or a small group you’re hosting at your place, or a virtual get-together online, take the time to connect with and enjoy these important friendships this month.

Not sure what to wear? Check out these pretty pink picks!

No. 06 | Creating Your Badass Playlist (for your sensory self-care)

A Badass Playlist is one filled with all the songs that make you feel powerful and like you can conquer the world. These are the songs that can turn a bad day into a good one. Ones that remind you of how very worthy, special, strong, and well, badass you are!

The Breakdown

This month, create your very own Badass Playlist on YouTube or Spotify or wherever you’d like. Fill it with empowering songs – songs that motivate the heck out of you! And listen to this playlist anytime you’re needing a little pick-me-up.

On My List

Read more: 6 Types of Self-Care & Ways to Practice Them

The Takeaway

As you plan for this new month, promise to schedule some time for you. Time to just live. You know, the time we always try to convince ourselves is wasteful, not important, and maybe even a bit selfish. It absolutely 100% is not.

You deserve self-care, my friend. And it will only change your life for the better.

Not sure what kind of ways to practice self-care this month? Here are some February self-care ideas to get you started:

1 – Cooking & Enjoying A Hearty Soup Or Stew (for your physical self-care)
2 – Cleansing Your Negative Self-Talk (for your emotional self-care)
3 – Doing A Meditation For Self-Love (for your spiritual self-care)
4 – Watching A Ted Talk On Self-Love (for your intellectual self-care)
5 – Having A Galentine’s Day Brunch, Lunch, or Dinner (for your social self-care)
6 – Creating Your Badass Playlist (for your sensory self-care)

Happy Self-Care February! ♡ And don’t forget to tag me with your self-care adventures at #tulipandsage. Which of these February self-care ideas are you looking forward to the most? Let me know below!