Taking time to plan some ways to love yourself this Valentine's Day may sound narcissistic. In fact, many of you may even feel uncomfortable with the notion of guiltlessly prioritizing yourself on a holiday meant to show love to others. Don't! I am not asking you to ignore your loved ones for Valentine's day. I am only asking you to include yourself in the repertoire of sharing, caring and expressing appreciation. As a woman, you may have a tendency to forget about the real impact you offer to those in your world and neglect to appreciate your very existance. As a mom, you spend so much of your energy on caring for and loving the kids that you are cashed out by the end of the day. As working women, finding time to balance a personal life, family life and work life seems nearly impossible so you end up last on the list (if you make the list at all). So, why not give yourself a moment of recognition on the LOVE day of the year!

But, can you actually love yourself to your wellness and fitness goals? I know, you are thinking that just sitting around appreciating yourself will get you no where when you have weight to lose or cholesterol to lower. But wait! Have you ever considered that actually honoring and caring for yourself can lead you down an entirely new journey of success in a variety or areas in your life?

Many times, we find ourselves so far down on the list of priorities that caring for our own needs becomes a luxury. In fact, I find that many of the clients I have worked with have completely lost touch with their needs and desires. Creating opportunities to nuture what's important to you provides a sense of self- satisfaction and therefore, appreciation for the experience that your life has to offer you. So while doing what YOU want and showing yourself some love may not be your traditional idea of celebrating Valentine's Day, it certainly can impact your entire outlook. And for those of you who are still having trouble prioritizing yourself, remember that when you feel better about yourself, you are better for everyone else around you. Below are some different ideas, big and small, to celebrate yourself this coming Valentine's day:

• Live your values. Create a list of the things that you truly value and cherish in your life. If there are areas that you tend to neglect, make a plan to spend some time in that area. Creating opportunities to live in accordance with your values leads to greater happiness and satisfaction.
• Listen to your heart. Literally stop, be silent and be aware of your beating heart. The silent pause creates peace in the heart by allowing it slow it's beats per minute while you feel rejuvenated.
• Count Your Blessings. Take a moment to realize all of your positive characteristics. Most of us have an easy time listing what we do not like about ourselves. This time, take a positive. Go one step further and consider how you use those blessings to influence the world around you. What wonderful gifts you offer!
• Breath Deep. Deep breathing helps to slow the autonomic system and remove some of the natural stress responses from your body. It also requires you to relax your mind and remove yourself from work for just a moment.
• Truly Indulge. Yes, that means on a wonderful dessert or a decadent drink. But do it slowly and appreciate it. You will find that you do not need as much if you really taste and linger on each taste.
• Stretch. Release the tension from your muscles with a nice deep stretch. Take a break during the work day, stop in the middle of the daily bustle. A good stretch is therapy to the body and will help you to feel opened up and revived.
• De-Stress. Read the short excerpt to the right to see how reducing stress benefits your overall emotional and physical health.
• Write Yourself a Love Letter. By physically writing down some loving reflections about yourself or the blessings in your life you just may find yourself feeling happy.
• Schedule You in Your Calendar. Pencil in time for you to relax, get a manicure, chat with a friend, read a book or whatever you have been missing. Then follow through as diligently as you would a meeting with the boss. Try it, it feels good!

I hope that you have some good ideas about how to include yourself in your Valentine's Day celebration. Just think, this could be a whole new trend for you this year! The more you practice honoring your body, thankfulness for your life, and appreciation for the roles you play, the greater the chances you follow through with taking good care of yourself and meeting your fitness and wellness goals. So, can you LOVE yourself FIT? I think so!