It’s that time of the year when stores, social media posts and advertisements remind us that it is Valentine’s Day.

While Valentine’s Day can be a special day to celebrate with your significant other, would it be a ludicrous idea to have a “Love Yourself Day?” A Love Yourself Day would remind you to love

the person that you are and know that the most important relationship you should have is with yourself.

Loving yourself can be a challenge in itself, for we all have our own insecurities that prevent us from accepting everything that we are and being proud of it.

Here are some pointers to love yourself in a few easy steps.

In order to love yourself, you must first let go of any hurt you have experienced in the past. We have all been hurt, but we can’t live our lives clinging to that feeling. We can’t let bad memories weigh us down and project negative images on ourselves. Let go of the past and keep moving forward. It’s the only way you’re going to find ultimate happiness within yourself.

Don’t compare yourself to others. Regardless of what anyone admits, we have all compared ourselves to another person in some way, whether at the gym envying a fit person or at a restaurant admiring how one can stand to eat a salad rather than a juicy burger.

It’s crucial to remember that everyone is unique in their own way and should be celebrated for it, rather than envied. As long as you embrace who you are, it shouldn’t matter how others compare.

Always remember to know what you deserve. You can’t expect anyone to love you unless you love yourself. Everyone deserves happiness. Everyone deserves someone that makes them feel as if they matter.

While it would be great to find that dream person, that cannot happen until you yourself know how much you matter and deserve happiness.

Valentine’s Day may be celebrating love between two people, but always ensure that you are remembering to love yourself and everything that makes you who you are.

If you’re single and feel bitter about Valentine’s Day, remember that you can be just as happy if you see yourself for all the great things that you already are. Love yourself first and everything won’t seem so bad.