Valentine’s Day is a tricky business. Generally, there are two types of people who exist in the world: those who love this holiday and are adamant about wearing red or pink, and those who absolutely despise it for reasons which I am not completely familiar. Regardless of how you feel about having a day devoted to love, there are five things that no one – in a relationship or not – should spend their Valentine’s Day doing, and here’s what they are:
1. Devote the evening to watching rom-coms
Anyone who knows me well will tell you that I am arguably the biggest lover of romantic comedies out there. Still, to spend your evening curled up on your couch watching movies that often have very unrealistic outcomes may not be the best use of your time.
It might be incredible that Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal overcame the challenge of being in the friend zone but sitting on the couch and living life through their love-story probably won’t make you feel better, and it definitely won’t make you any clearer on understanding your own love life.
2. Binge-eat chocolate
Yes, chocolate IS magical comfort food, but similar to number one, doing this the entire evening is certainly not going to make you feel good- physically or emotionally.
While having a little sweet treat is absolutely necessary (whether it’s Valentine’s Day or not) gorging on a bunch of sweets is going to instill some serious regret in you come the following morning, and it probably won’t take away the pain of watching John Hughes make us all fall in love with Molly Ringwald.
3. Hate people that love Valentine’s Day
Whether you are this type of person or not, we can all stand to practice a little bit of patience when listening to our fellow classmate vent about how much she loves Valentine’s Day and everything it offers. Allowing yourself to get worked up or angry at other people for expressing their love for a holiday that you might not be so crazy about is simply a waste of time.
Just smile, listen, and be happy for them! It’s not asking much, and it only makes things better for everyone.
4. Day-dream about how you’ll spend the day in the future
Okay, I’ll be honest, I’m pretty guilty of doing this. Since I’ve been in my relationship, I have filled my head with constant thoughts about the future and what my boyfriend and I will be doing on occasions such as these.
Although this can be fun and fill you with so much happiness, it detracts from allowing yourself to enjoy and be immersed in the present moment. Sure, it’s wonderful to think about the future, but if this Valentine’s Day is spent face-timing with your significant other from across state lines, enjoy it and embrace it!
5. Ignore the day
The history of Valentine’s Day is pretty incredible and surprisingly rooted in an ancient Roman tradition. That being said, nobody should simply ignore it just because they aren’t in a relationship or they find its meaning to be absent.
Valentine’s Day may commonly be a day to celebrate between you and your significant other, but it’s also a day of love. As cheesy as it may sound, use it to text your parents or best friends and tell them how much you love and appreciate them. Odds are, you don’t do that on a regular basis, and these little texts can turn someone’s day around in an instant.
While Valentine's Day may be a holiday that often brings a mix of emotions for a lot of people, keeping these few tips in mind will help you to make the most of all future Valentine’s Day's.
