We have reached that time of the year again. It’s February, which means that Valentine’s Day is rapidly approaching. While many couples have started to plan for this romantic holiday, it doesn’t mean that us single people can’t enjoy it just as much. While many may see February 14th as a day to be celebrated specifically by lovers, Valentine’s day can be a day to celebrate love and relationships of any kind. Whether that be your love for your friends, your family or simply spending the day practicing self love. If you are recently uncoupled, or a veteran on the subject, here are a few ways to thoroughly enjoy the national holiday if you’re single as a pringle. And remember: there is a huge difference between being single, and being lonely.
- Call the Girls And Celebrate Galentine’s Day Instead
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Assuming that all the couples in your life will be unavailable on this day, call your fellow single ladies and indulge in a virtual hangout to celebrate the holiday! Gathering your friends for a night full of laughter might help take the pressure off being single on V-Day. Treating each other to flowers and chocolate is also a good idea. After all, Valentine’s Day was traditionally dedicated to showing the people you love how special they are to you.
- Embrace Being Single
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Look at the positive side! There is no pressure to pleasure anyone but yourself. To be honest, being in a relationship on Valentine’s Day has its downsides. Imagine this: you spend weeks trying to come up with a thoughtful gift, or having to plan something out of the box since the traditional dinner-and-a-movie date isn’t feasible during a pandemic. Then you settle for a night in and disagree on what to watch on Netflix, and finally compromise on a movie you aren’t really interested in. I bet being single is starting to sound really good right about now. Enjoy the freedom of doing whatever the hell you want without having to settle or compromise to make anybody else happy!
- Treat Yourself
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You should always practice self-love, but today, make the extra effort to remind yourself how special you are. That could be buying yourself flowers, taking advantage of the discount Valentine’s Day chocolate, or splurging on a mini online shopping spree (because if there’s one positive thing we can count during commercialized holidays, it’s the amazing sales, right?). You can also write yourself a love letter or journal, highlighting all your best qualities and accomplishments. As cliche as this may sound, you cannot love anyone without loving yourself first!
Have you been recently uncoupled? Honestly, being single after a long (or even after a short), intense, relationship takes some getting used to. You may still be mourning this loss and Valentine’s Day makes you feel more sensitive. If you’re still hung up on your ex, this excessive display of affection can make your stomach turn a little, and that’s okay! Steer away from your social media feeds for the day to avoid all the pictures of happy couples if that makes you uncomfortable (or disgusted). Surround yourself with other kinds of love. Focus on celebrating the day with friends and family or, if you prefer, treat it like any other day. After all, when February 15th comes up, all the red and pink hearts will thankfully be taken down, and just like an Instagram story, it will all be over in 24 hours. Who knows, maybe next year you will find yourself in a completely different position and relationship status! And if not, you can always rely on these tips from a fellow single lady.