Ah, February…
The month where the shops slap pink hearts on everything, restaurants do a “romantic set menu” that tastes suspiciously like last week’s menu (but with a candle), and everyone’s acting like love only counts if it’s posted on Instagram with a rose emoji.
Let’s get this out the way: Valentine’s Day is hearts, flowers and… bollocks!
Not because love is bollocks (love is brilliant), but because you don’t need ONE day to say “I love you”. And that goes for YOU, too. Not just your partner, your kids, your mates, your mum, or the dog who looks at you like you’re Beyoncé.
If you run a business (especially if it’s just you holding the whole thing together like a dodgy IKEA shelf), self-love is the foundation. Because your business isn’t a separate creature you can feed and water while you slowly wither in the corner.
Your business runs on you. Your energy, your confidence, your ideas, your resilience, your ability to not launch your laptop out the window when something goes wrong.
So, this February, instead of buying a novelty heart-shaped box of chocolate for someone else, how about you give yourself something that actually lasts longer than a cheap supermarket bunch of roses?
Let’s talk self-love and self-care – the real kind, not the “have a bubble bath and manifest it” kind.
What self-love actually is (and what it ain’t)
Self-love isn’t walking around like you’re the main character in a perfume advert. It’s not arrogance. It’s not ignoring feedback and calling it “protecting your peace”. And it’s definitely not pretending you’re always fine when you’re one minor inconvenience away from lying face down on the kitchen floor.
Self-love is how you treat yourself when nobody’s clapping. When the launch didn’t land, when the client ghosted, when your to-do list looks like it’s breeding overnight.
It’s self-respect, self-trust and self-kindness… especially on the messy days.
It’s backing yourself like you would your best mate. If your mate said, “I’m rubbish, I’m behind, I’m failing,” you wouldn’t go, “Yeah, fair, you are.” You’d say, “Oi, shut up. You’re doing your best. Let’s sort this out.”
So why are you chatting absolute nonsense to yourself?
Why self-love is a business strategy (not just a fluffy hashtag)
This needs to be said (with love obvs): you can’t run a premium business on bargain-basement self-worth.
When self-love is missing, business starts to look like this:
- Saying yes to everything like you’re desperate for approval.
- Undercharging, overdelivering and then feeling resentful about it.
- Replying to client messages at 10pm because “it’s only quick”.
- Comparing yourself to someone else’s highlight reel and deciding you’re doomed.
- Working flat out, then calling yourself lazy when you crash.
Sound familiar? Don’t worry, you’re not alone – this is basically the unofficial starter pack for business owners.
But when self-love is present, you make better calls. You spot red flags quicker. You stick to boundaries. You show up more consistently because you’re not constantly running on fumes. You actually enjoy your work again. Imagine that – running a business that doesn’t feel like a never-ending episode of EastEnders.
Quick Self-Love Audit: where are you ghosting yourself?
Right, let’s have a little look in the mirror (not the magnifying one, we’re being kind today). Ask yourself:
- Time: Are you treating your calendar like it owes you money?
- Money: Are you charging like you’re doing everyone a favour?
- Energy: Are you pushing through when your brain is mush, then beating yourself up for being “unproductive”?
- Boundaries: Are you letting clients message you like you’re their on-call therapist?
- Health: Are you surviving on caffeine and vibes?
- Joy: When did you last do something just because you wanted to?
Pick one area where you’re taking the mick out of yourself. Just one. That’s your February focus. We’re not trying to fix our whole personality in 28 days, alright? This isn’t a makeover montage.
Self-care for business owners: the practical bits (not the bubble bath nonsense)
Self-care isn’t always candles and calm playlists (although I’m not knocking a scented candle or a relaxing playlist). Most of the time, it’s boring. It’s the steady drumbeat that keeps the song going.
Here are five areas to focus on, like tracks on an album. You don’t need to play them all at once. Start with the one that’s most out of tune.
1) Body basics
Sleep. Food. Movement. Hydration. Yes, it’s dull. Yes, it matters. If you’re running on four hours’ sleep and three coffees, your brain will act like a chaotic toddler.
Try this: one proper meal a day, one walk and one earlier night a week. Start there.
2) Mind care
If your brain is constantly yelling “YOU’RE BEHIND” like a heckler at a gig, you need a way to clear it out.
Try: a quick journal brain dump, a ten-minute reset, talking things through with a coach or therapist, voice-noting your thoughts instead of looping them for hours.
Also: not every thought deserves your attention. Some thoughts are just your brain being dramatic.
3) Workday boundaries
You don’t need to be available 24/7 to be “professional”. You need boundaries so you can do good work without losing your mind.
Try: office hours, response windows and proper breaks. Even a 15-minute breather between tasks counts.
And listen, if your mate texted you at 10pm asking for “one quick thing”, you’d probably ignore it. So why are clients getting VIP access to your evenings?
4) Digital care
If social media leaves you feeling like everyone else is selling out Wembley while you’re busking outside Tesco, you need a plan.
Try: turning off non-essential notifications, setting “scroll windows”, and using the rest of the time for creating, not consuming. Your confidence can’t cope with constant comparison.
5) Joy and play
Joy isn’t extra. It’s part of the job, especially if you’re creative. Joy is where ideas come from.
Try: a weekly “play hour”. No outcome. No productivity. Just something that makes you feel human again.
Self-love in action: treat yourself like your best client
Here’s a little trick: imagine you’re your own dream client. How would you treat them?
You wouldn’t pile on guilt. You wouldn’t demand perfection. You wouldn’t send them a message saying, “Why haven’t you done everything on your list, you useless plank?”
You’d help them simplify. You’d remind them of their wins. You’d encourage rest before burnout. You’d help them make a plan that doesn’t require superhuman energy.
So, next time you catch yourself spiralling, try these reframes:
- Instead of “I’m behind,” try: “I’ve taken on too much – what can I drop?”
- Instead of “Nobody’s buying,” try: “My message needs tweaking – what’s unclear?”
- Instead of “I’m not good enough,” try: “I’m learning. Like everyone else.”
Self-love is not pretending everything’s perfect. It’s supporting yourself through the imperfect bits.
A cheeky February challenge: 14 days of showing yourself some love
If you’re the kind of person who likes a little structure (hello, fellow list-lover), here’s a simple Valentine’s-month challenge. Pick one a day or do a few a week. Five to ten minutes each.
- Write a quick “love note” to your future self about why you started your business.
- Put your prices up or stop discounting out of panic.
- Say no to one thing you don’t want to do.
- Take a proper lunch break three times this week.
- Post the thing you’ve been overthinking.
- Clear one nagging admin job that’s been lurking for ages.
- Book one day off (even a half day counts).
- Ask for help with one task you keep avoiding.
- Update your boundaries (office hours, response times, etc.).
- Spend 20 minutes planning your week so you’re not winging it daily.
- Do something purely for fun – no “making it content”.
- Celebrate a win you’ve been brushing off.
- Send a message to someone who supports you and say thanks.
- Make a “done list” for the week instead of only staring at what’s left.
No guilt if you miss a day. This is self-love, not school detention.
Love yourself like it’s your job (because, honestly, it is)
Here’s the bottom line: love isn’t a one-day performance. It’s daily choices. And you don’t need permission to look after yourself. Remember, you’re the boss!
When you treat yourself with respect, your business gets better. Not because you “hustled harder”, but because you stopped treating yourself like an afterthought.
So this Valentine’s Day, buy yourself the flowers. And maybe the time. The boundaries. The rest. The support. The kindness.
And if you’re reading this thinking, “Yeah… I know what I should be doing, but I’m drowning,” then don’t try to do it all alone. If you want a hand getting your systems, content or workload sorted so you can breathe again, give me a shout and we’ll have a proper chat.
Because you deserve more than surviving February on caffeine and vibes, right? Now go on, show yourself some love, you absolute legend!