Today is Valentine’s Day! A day to celebrate with loved ones; a day to remember family and friends no longer with us; and most importantly perhaps a day to set aside time for ourselves. Being the Monday before our free monthly SGC-Whytehouse Early Childhood, it is also the day that I go on social media to remind everyone of our upcoming lecture by Dr Justine O’Hara-Gregan of University of Auckland. Her lecture this Saturday 19 February 2022 at 10am MYT focuses on practices for promoting teacher wellbeing – a topic that is most related to Valentine’s Day and self-love!
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Research tells us that loving oneself, among others, paves the way to a positive mindset, an essential ingredient for success in life. Self-love is liberating and uplifting. It builds resilience to face adversities in life. It helps us develop healthier relationships.
According to The Brain & Behavior Research Foundation, self-love is “a state of appreciation for oneself that grows from actions that support our physical, psychological and spiritual growth.” It covers:
- prioritizing ourselves & taking care of our own needs
- not sacrificing our wellbeing to please others
- not settling for less than what we deserve
- trusting ourselves; forgiving ourselves, accepting ourselves
Self-love is not a luxury, but a necessity. It is a choice that we make on how we view and treat ourselves. And we can clearly see the importance of self-love and wellbeing for early childhood professionals who engage with young children in their formative years when the foundation is laid for their sense of self and social wellbeing. In a profession that gives all the time, self-love and self-care can strengthen our mental wellbeing and help manage our stress. Our wellbeing affects others, especially those under our care.
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We can trawl through the web for the multitude of ideas on cultivating the habit of self-love : be it the practice of mindfulness and self care, listening to ourselves, journaling or yoga. Or why not join us on 19 February when Dr Justine O-Hara Gregan takes us on an interactive session on wellbeing practices for the early childhood community. Do you not agree that we need a break? That we need to recharge? Only then can we thrive! Register for our lecture at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/practices-for-promoting-teacher-wellbeing-tickets-251825646287
American historian, columnist, novelist, poet, artist, and editor -Aberjhani once wrote ” “Dare to love yourself as if you were a rainbow with gold at both ends.” So, this Valentine’s Day, take the bold step and love ourselves. Happy Valentine’s Day!
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