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!
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.
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!
Carolyn M Choo 