Valentine's Day is known as the day of love, the day of ogling over a relationship, and, of course, Single's Awareness Day. But, in all reality, it's better to be single on Valentine's Day for so many reasons, the biggest of which is just to have a day for loving yourself. Stressing out over what to do or get your significant other just isn't worth it when, in all honesty, you can take some time together or apart, with or without friends, and make your own day amazing.
As someone who has been alone for most of my Valentine's Days, the biggest gift you can give yourself is inner peace and calm. Take a break from life, meditate, take a warm bath, light a candle in your house, read a good book and watch the best Netflix has to offer. My personal favorites are "72 Cutest Animals" and "The Great British Bake-Off." Make sure you make a great movie snack and then get to bed early. That will feel like the best treat you could have ever given yourself once the morning comes around.
Don't feel pressured to get into a relationship you don't care about just because you don't want to be "alone" on Valentines Day; trust me, you'll feel much more alone spending it with someone you don't really want to be with.
If you really don't want to be completely alone, spend February 14th with your friends; cook dinner, watch some funny videos together, talk about everything and catch up with them. This world keeps us all busy 24/7.
Another way to spend the day is to show your family and friends how much you love them. As a college student going to school out-of-state, I'm pretty close to my friends and love to show them how much they mean to me. Writing them all a simple card, or baking them a treat is a great way to show you care. The same goes for family. Leaving a cute note in your sister's lunch box or dropping off lunch or flowers for your mom at work are also simple ways to show how much you care. That's really what Valentine's Day is about.
If you're struggling with being far away from family, but you still want to do something special, send a nice text message, a funny online card or give your family a phone call. Video calls are even better. It's hard to set aside time for this every day, so it will be a great surprise to your family to be able to talk with you and see your face. You'll feel great, and they'll feel loved.
Honestly, as a Hallmark holiday, people feel pressured to spend too much money on doing different things or buying this or that. I'm personally a bigger fan of cute little ways to remind someone how much you love them. And, just because you're alone on Valentine's Day doesn't mean you can't love yourself a little more or still show your friends and family how much they mean to you. Valentine's Day is a day for reminding people how much you love them, whether those people are family, friends or significant others.
