These days, Valentine’s day seems like it has taken on a life of its own with the all the commercial hype! For many of us this is fine, it is a fun excuse to celebrate our love and/or relationship. However, for those who don’t have a significant other this can be a hard time of year. All the hearts, flowers, candy, etc. can be a painful reminder of something that you are missing.
I understand, I have been there before. I remember one Valentine’s Day before my husband and I started dating where it seemed like all of my friends were in serious relationships. I was dreading Valentine’s Day! It seemed like I would be the only one with nothing to do that night. That is until good friends of mine organized a single’s only dinner. Although they were in a serious relationship, they were mindful of their single friends. It was an awesome night filled with friends, laughter, and good food. It totally redeemed a day I was otherwise dreading!
This year, if you find yourself single on Valentine’s Day I want to encourage you to find a way to reclaim this “relationship holiday.” Make it a day to celebrate the love of family and friends; make it a day to celebrate yourself; maybe, you could even make it a day to celebrate the joys of being single while you wait for that special someone!
Here are a few ideas to help you reclaim Valentine’s Day:
-Make is a special self-care day! Take a day to go to the spa, get a massage, by yourself something special. Find a way to treat yourself that suits you but remember you don’t need someone else to treat you…sometimes treating ourselves feels extra special!
-Take time to celebrate the ones you love. Find a special way to let your friends and family know you love them and how much they mean to you. Send them a special note, give them a call to let them know what they mean to you, or find a special way to treat them. Celebrating the loved ones in your life is a great reminder that you are not alone.
-Surround yourself with loved ones. Those same people who you are taking time to celebrate are the same people you should be surrounding yourself with on this holiday. Being around the people you love and who love you is always a good feeling, but this is especially true on a day when you can feel very alone. Spend the day with people who love you and will let you know what you mean to them.
-Celebrate your singleness! I know this may sound hard for some of you, but the truth is there are a lot of benefits to being single that we often don’t see until we are in a relationship. Take this as a day to celebrate all the things that are great about being on your own. The joy of always being able to choose which movie to watch, the awesomeness of spending a day in sweats without feeling like you need to impress someone, the ability to eat an entire pint of ice cream without someone around to make you feel guilty! It is a lot of little things, but there can be a lot of joys to the single life. Try to celebrate all these things this Valentine’s Day.
If you find yourself struggling with being single on Valentine’s Day I hope that you will find way to reclaim this “holiday” as something great!