Beat The Valentine’s Day Blues – Be Your Own Valentine

5 Easy Ways to Show Yourself The Love!

(And some of our favorite quotes for singles on Valentine’s Day)

Valentine’s Day. Love is in the air. Or is it?
Who says Valentine’s Day is for couples?  Check out our Valentine’s Day for singles tips!

This is the one holiday that cuts to the heart for many, putting our relationships or lack thereof in high relief. (Anyone else getting flashbacks of grammar school and stacks of paper valentines snuck into your desk?) Maybe that’s why we still approach the day with a tiny bit of dread and fear. If you’re doing it solo this year, no worries. We’ve got 5 tips to show yourself the love you deserve! When was the last time you celebrated you?  Let’s make this day extra special. 

“My alone feels so good, I’ll only have you if you’re sweeter than my solitude.” — Warsan Shire

A day dedicated to celebrating love, partnership, and joy in another person can’t be all bad, right? But it’s sure to make all of us question our status and our partners if we have them. What relationship can hold up against the Hallmark-fabricated, romanticized, and perfectly filtered ideal we see on full display everywhere?  That’s exactly why Valentine’s Day is for singles. It’s our day.

Fresh flowers, gorgeous chocolates, and red hearts abound, beginning in the early morning on social media, continuing into the office and onto the streets, every storefront, grocery store, and restaurant. And it brings out a ton of emotions in both singles and couples.

Who’s Idea Was This Anyhow?! The Disturbing History of Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day owes its birth to the Roman festival known as Lupercalia, which celebrated the advent of spring, and included fertility rites and pairing off women with men by dropping their name in a large urn. Well, alrighty! So much for romance.

It’s time to love yourself this Valentine’s Day. 

That’s right. Be your own Valentine. 

Let’s not lament what we don’t have. Being single is a choice after all. 

Just skip the drama, get your head out from under the covers, and make this your special day. 

We’re here to help you create an awesome day in honor of you!

Take control, turn it around, and celebrate the one that counts.

“I think it’s very healthy to spend time alone. You need to know how to be alone and not defined by another person.” — Oscar Wilde

Try these acts of love for yourself!

Whether you’re a loner at heart and just need a fresh take on the day, or the thought of being alone seems all too tragic to you, we’ve got you covered. Regardless of what you do, bring an attitude of gratitude with you. There’s no better way to guarantee a joyful day. Before you do another thing, grab your favorite notebook or journal, take a few deep breaths, go deep, and list all the things you have to be grateful for today. 

 Here are our favorite hacks to make your day memorable. 

 #1 – Declare Valentine’s Day as your “all about me” day. 

Plan for a day of full-tilt pampering. Head out for a day at the spa, or even better, skip the chirping of a crowded spa and create your own experience at home. Get some great ideas for a home spa day here: A Full Year of Bliss for the Price of a Massage. Valentine’s Day 2024 is Thursday, February 14. If you work outside of the house, how about planning a day off? If you’re the boss, sleep in.

BONUS: You’ll be skipping the endless parade of floral deliveries AND scoring a mid-week day to use as you choose. Take a little time to take stock. Steep the tea, and get out your journal. Take a quick look back, (gratitude!) and plan an optimistic look forward.  This is a perfect day to write a letter to your future self and schedule it to be delivered next Valentine’s Day, Check out the deets on this here. You’ll love it: Write A Letter To Your Future Self.  By the way, taking care of numero uno should be standard operating procedure every day. Get accustomed to nurturing and appreciating yourself.

“I never found a companion that was so companionable as solitude.” — Henry David Thoreau

#2 – Indulge Yourself – Umm, chocolate-covered cherries?

It’s just one day out of the year. And hey, it’s a leap year we got an extra one this year anyhow, so go for it. Enjoy your day of solitude (see #1) and wrap up your day with a fabulous meal. Stay out of restaurants and DIY it. Nobody needs to look at that scene! If cooking is not in your wheelhouse there’s no shame in takeaway from Whole Foods or anywhere else you fancy. Splurge on a beautiful bottle of wine, or even better, get out your cocktail shaker, and fine crystal and whip up a craft cocktail to savor as you appreciate the quiet, the peace and just being you. Be careful on the cocktail- this could be a slippery slope. Try this amazing Chocolate  Cherry Martini Mocktail – You’re Welcome!  that we created just for Valentine’s Day. Here are some other great Alcohol-Free Options. “Raise the Bar” –  5 Great Alcohol-Free Craft Cocktails

#3 – Have a party! 

Go big with a Lonely Hearts Club Party including all the singles you know. And guess what? Your married friends will thank you too. Who needs to get hustled in and out of a packed restaurant on one of the worst service nights of the year?  Think high expectations, and low delivery. And about the cheap pink carnation that is shamelessly shilled to all ladies between 2 and 102? 

• Make it stressless with a Potluck Challenge. Guests bring something that reflects their nationality.  Or create a pizza bar so everyone builds their own personal pizza. 
• Mix up a Valentine’s punch- something red and fruity.  One “high test,” one “low octane” for your sober friends. More and more people choose to go light on alcohol these days, particularly when they are driving. 
• Download your favorite quotes for singles on Valentine’s Day, print them on parchment, and roll them up, tied with raffia or ribbon. Leave them in a basket as party favors.
• Set up a fun Instagram photo op with a table of stuff from your garage, thrift shop props, and accessories. Hats, hats, and more hats.
• Guests bring a childhood image of themselves which is numbered and mounted on a board. Hand out the numbered list for people to guess. People do change! 

Or maybe you want to niche it down to a few best buddies for a “Palentine’s” Day Party? Easy peasy! Have a coed Pajama Party with your best buds. Movies, Popcorn, Done.

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#4 – Make your day by making someone else’s!

Have aunts or uncles who may be alone or at least empty nesting? Relatives or friends who are in a retirement home? (If not, make a couple of calls and arrange a visit to a home anyhow.) Invest in a few dozen inexpensive buds and get out and make someone’s day. Cook up a storm the day before and bring cookies or brownies or wrap some cute little bundles of chocolates to hand out. (Be sure to ask the administration before giving out any edibles.) Maybe you have friends or your children with kids who would appreciate a night out. What’s more therapeutic than kids? 

#5 – Try That One New Thing!

Do something you’ve never done before. Take a look at this blog to get your imagination going. Need some inspiration? Here you go!  Try Something New Today

Here are a couple more ideas!

• Make an amazing dessert and have the entire thing for dinner.
• Spring for a paid movie at home. 
• Visit that local park you’ve been meaning to check out. Bring a book or a podcast.
• Have a major workout at the gym to get those endorphins cracking before you come home to a long and bubbly bath. (Squeaky fresh sheets are mandatory!
• Research the exhibit at a local art museum and then go and test your knowledge.

Take a road trip with a buddy, Thelma and Louise style.

“Single is an opportunity to live life on your own terms and not apologize.” — Mandy Hale

Whatever you do, don’t do this stuff!

• Don’t go out to a restaurant. They’re a veritable landmine. Too many couples, the tacky roses for the ladies… you get it. Just remember they‘ve got nothing on you!
• Don’t dwell on the past. Stay present. By the way, our loved ones are always present, there’s no need to bring them forward more than usual today.
• Don’t even look at social media. IT DOESN’T MATTER. For the love of all things sacred, take a digital break today. Nothing to see here!
• No whiners. You know “that” friend? Nope. Not today

Remember – It’s 24 hours! Just rock it. 

You are absolutely lovable. It’s just not your time for a partner right now, or maybe you don’t even want it. Besides, who matters more than number one?

Appreciate and nurture who you are. 

Learn how to love yourself on Valentine’s Day.

Sometimes we need to be our own forever after. 

XOX,

Cyn

NOTE: This post has been updated.

Check out these related blogs:

Chocolate Cherry Martini Mocktail – Best Valentine’s Day treat ever.

Write A Letter To Your Future Self.

Try Something New Today

“Raise the Bar” –  5 Great Alcohol Free Craft Cocktails

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