Hi, I'm Maryon Stewart B.E.M, a world-renowned healthcare expert and pioneer of The Natural Menopause Movement. I am delighted to sit on Become's panel of experts.

Going through menopause doesn’t always make it easy for us to feel sexy or in love with the person we have evolved into. Like it or not, February 14th is here, but if nothing arrives in your mailbox this year, you don't need to feel down about it. Instead, focus on boosting your self-love – increasing the amount you love yourself won’t just make you feel better, but will generally make you feel more attractive and lovable in the eyes of others.

According to the song, learning to ‘love yourself’ is the greatest gift of all, but it isn’t something that comes naturally to most of us. People who can’t find a multitude of things wrong with themselves are in the minority. You know the old story – your hair is the wrong colour, or it’s curly instead of straight or vice versa. Your nose is too long, your eyes too small and your figure is completely the wrong shape. You haven’t got as much character as your friends and you’re not as clever, and so it goes on. But unless you like yourself, ensuring you’re in good shape mentally and physically can prove difficult. Show me someone who is happy with their life and their physical shape, and I pretty much guarantee that they have good self-esteem and like who they are.

No one is perfect
The truth is that no one is perfect and many of us will probably never be entirely satisfied with our lot, but we can get close to it. However, while there is always room for improvement, it is important we recognise the good things about ourselves that make us who we are. Take my quiz to find out if you love yourself enough and if you don’t, discover what to do get you back on the self-love track...

If you answered ‘Yes’ to more than three questions, it’s time to learn how to feel more positive about yourself.

Take five minutes
Take five minutes out and find a comfortable place to sit and relax. Now make a list of five things you like about yourself as a person and another five you like about your body. Keep the list close by, keep adding to it and read it every day to remind yourself just how amazing you are.

How to be positive
Being outgoing and optimistic is more likely to bring success than spending time introspecting. There is plenty of evidence that those who believe they will be successful usually are. So, if you are short on confidence, make a point of indulging in some positive thinking for ten minutes every morning when you wake up and before you go to sleep at night. Mentally paint a vivid picture of your attractive self thriving and experiencing joy.

Spend time imagining yourself in your ideal physical shape, looking and feeling great with good things happening to you. Maybe you are indulging in passionate encounters or enjoying the company of new friends. Perhaps your daydreams will centre round success in your studies or at work, or you want to look and feel attractive to others. Whatever you decide to focus on, make the images in your mind so realistic, that you can actually feel you are experiencing the situation. It may take some practice, but once you get the hang of it, it becomes like watching a movie. Remember, unless you feel positive about yourself, it's much harder for others to love you.

Pat yourself on the back
Keeping a note of your daily achievements, however small, will help you to feel satisfied. It is too easy to move on to the next thing, or even the next day, without acknowledging what you have actually accomplished. Again, we tend to fixate on the negative, our mistakes and things that perhaps we later regret. Making time to review your successes helps to build your self-esteem. Get yourself a notebook and write in it on a daily basis, as you would a diary. Review it regularly so that you can congratulate yourself.

Make yourself proud
Life can be so demanding that it’s all too easy to go from day to day fulfilling your own needs without stopping to consider the needs of others. A big part of liking yourself is the reward that comes from helping to make other people’s lives more pleasant. Take time out each day to do one random act of kindness. You might be surprised how much of a buzz it will give you.

Living your dream
We don’t always get what we dare to dream about without putting in a little effort. If you talk to six different people, you will probably find six quite different views on how to succeed in life and fulfil those dreams. Some may even suggest that there is no point in dreaming, for fate will take charge of your destiny. We are each perfectly entitled to our own view, but there is now significant evidence to suggest that you can get much of what you wish for by applying specific techniques. Positive thinking and visualisation, when channelled correctly, can go a long way to getting you where you’d like to be, in the shape that you would like to be in.

It is worth taking time out each day to visualise yourself just the way you would like to be. Experts believe we are at our most suggestive first thing in the morning when we wake and last thing at night just before going to sleep. So, start and finish the day with a five or ten-minute visualisation of yourself just the way you would like to be, feeling and looking fabulous, fit, successful, on a beach, with the partner of your dreams or whatever takes your fancy, and imagine living life as your ideal self. Visualising is an acquired skill, so if it doesn’t happen in full Technicolor and your mind keeps wandering at first, stick at it, as you will eventually get the hang of it and hopefully start living your dreams. You have nothing to lose and it’s a positive, fun and therapeutic way to begin and end the day. Regular visualisation of your ideal scene will help you feel great and love yourself a whole lot more.

Plan to fall in love with yourself this Valentine’s, as it will make your heart sing!

For more information on how to cope with menopause symptoms check out Maryon's website where you can find out how to deal with them naturally as well as sign up to a virtual class – so that you can get on with loving yourself.