Without a significant other – or even a blind date – Valentine’s Day can be lonely for singles. Watching an officemate glow when a dozen roses are delivered to her desk can put a damper on the whole day. And single guys have it just as rough. Who wants to sit home alone because all your fellas have dates?
Valentine’s Day doesn’t have to be that way. Single women and men can embrace the greeting card holiday by pampering themselves. After all, as the saying goes, you can’t love somebody else until you love yourself. To get you started, here are seven ways you can be your own valentine this year.
Send Yourself a Love Letter
Almost everyone remembers the fun of getting valentines when they were in grade school. You’d decorate your shoebox, find the best valentine cards, preferably with stickers, and collect two dozen notes from all your classmates. It was the absolute best. It’s also why an empty mailbox on Valentine’s is such a bummer.
So write yourself your own valentine. Buy a card a couple days before the holiday and spend some time composing a letter to you. After all, who knows you better? List all the things you like about yourself. Encourage that future you to take charge of the day and do all the things you promised yourself you’d do. Then mail it and don’t open the card until Valentine’s Day.
Treat Yourself
Spend Valentine’s Day surprising yourself with little gifts. How do you do that? Simple. Make a list of small things you would love to have or do, but don’t, because they are either a little too expensive, a little bit decadent or you never have time. Buy that $10 cup of coffee. Splurge on an Uber to work. Grab that CBD body lotion for after your bubble bath. Indulge a bit on Valentine’s Day.
Serve Yourself Breakfast in Bed
Set the timer on your coffee maker, scramble some eggs, buy some precooked bacon, even chill a mini bottle of champagne and make the breakfast you would want your future partner to serve you in bed. Then take up to the bedroom, crawl under the covers, turn on Netflix and dig in.
Be Present Throughout the Day
When alone on Valentine’s Day, most people dwell on past relationships or the crush who got away. Many figure they will never fall in love again. It’s cyclical thinking that makes the whole holiday bleak and lonely. To avoid that pitfall, be present in the day. Don’t allow yourself to think about anything from the past, even what happened the day before. Don’t think about what the future could bring. Focus on every moment of the day you are in. You might be surprised at what you discover.
Get a Massage
It is a surprise to no one that Valentine’s Day is a very tactile holiday. Hugs, kisses and so much more are all wrapped up in people’s plans. For those with no one to kiss or hug, it can be a tough reminder of how alone they are. Solve that by treating yourself to a massage. A trained professional can knead out the stress of the day.
Talk About Yourself
Another way to make the day a little less lonely is to indulge in a little “sorry, not sorry” bragging on social media. Fill your digital feeds with pictures of you killing it at a party, chilling at the beach, climbing Mt. Everest, or meeting Justine Timberlake. Let the world know that you are fun, exciting and will likely soon be someone’s big catch.
Count Your Blessings
At the end of the day, remember that being single has as many pluses as being in a relationship. Take a few moments to take stock in all you have, including friends and family, successes and experiences, even the good and great moments in past relationships. After all, life is about the journey, not the destination. And Valentine’s Day is about love, even if that love is for who you are and who you might become.