How To Celebrate Being In Your Single Era This Valentine’s Day
Valentine’s Day is often associated with red hearts, roses, teddy bears and loved-up couples holding hands everywhere you turn. And for some, this reality can hit so it’s preferable to stay indoors and close the shutters. Women are sold the narrative that finding that one perfect person is the be-all-and-end-all. But in actuality, being single on February 14 is the perfect day to celebrate the beauty of love and romance. Because who says you have to be in a relationship to have those things?
Love, actually, is everywhere.
“The most exciting, challenging and significant relationship of all is the one you have with yourself’ ~ Carrie Bradshaw
Why you should embrace being single this Valentine’s Day
Whether you’re single or in a relationship, Valentine’s Day is about celebrating love. Why not dedicate this day to showering yourself with the things that bring you joy and make you feel like the best version of yourself?
Self-love is so important because it allows you to attract people who are on your level. Every single person has heard “You need to love yourself first before you can love someone else.” You might meet this statement with an eye roll, but if you truly embody it, you’re going to become the most powerful version of yourself. Think about it this way, a person with little self-love might choose someone who shows them only 10% of love. This person might feel great because they didn’t know any better or have any set standards. But would they settle for 10% if they knew what 90-100% feels like? Absolutely not. So why should you?
Whether you have a group of friends to celebrate this day of love or you’re flying solo, here are some ideas to celebrate being single this Valentine’s Day.
Have a self-care day
Nothing says “luxury” like letting yourself be pampered. If you can afford to splurge on February 14, treat yourself to your favourite spa and massage place.
However, you can feel just as luxe from a DIY treatment at home. Here’s what you’re going to do: Go to your local drugstore and pick up a few sheet masks. While you’re out, treat yourself to a manicure/pedicure or pick up some polish to use at home, and grab your favourite bottle of wine. *Note – Don’t let yourself feel angry or upset when you see a couple or a girl holding a bouquet. Instead, allow yourself to appreciate the love you see.
Back home, put on a playlist that makes you feel empowered and in touch with your inner-feminine. Take your “everything shower” and do your skincare. Pour your wine and either cook your favourite meal or get some good takeout. Classics like Sex and the City, Valentine’s Day, the Other Woman, or any other rom-coms are great options to enjoy while you eat.
PS. Learn how to glow up in 24 hours!
Reflect on the love in your life
This Valentine’s Day, sit down and take the time to reflect on the love you currently have. It’s easy to get swept up in the idea of romantic love and the idea that we’re not whole without it. But when you focus on being grateful for what you have, you’ll attract more of what you want.
Pick up a journal and write about the love you receive from your friends and family and the love you give to them. Watch the manifestations come in.
Have a picnic
Invite your single friends and celebrate in a beautiful garden or park. Aesthetics are essential, so put on a cute dress or anything that makes you feel beautiful and set out on a picnic blanket with your favourite foods. It’s also therapeutic to spend time with your friends and discuss how you’re feeling on Valentine’s Day. Because it is a hard day for some, and having someone to lean on during this time is so comforting. You might find that they’re feeling the same way, so there’s no harm in talking about it.
 Volunteer
An act of kindness goes a long way. While you can certainly take this day to do things for yourself, spending a little bit of it giving to others might be the most rewarding activity.
Think about how good it feels when you pick up a piece of trash and put it in the bin. While the act itself is small, saving that bit of trash might have stopped it from entering a water channel and doing harm to a sea creature.
Perhaps spend the day at a local nursing home where you can have meaningful interactions with the elderly. Society often neglects our elders and a bit of kindness from a stranger would make their day – especially on Valentine’s Day. You might also get some sage wisdom on relationship advice.
Another idea is to buy some flowers and hand them out to strangers. Imagine how it would feel knowing that you made someone’s day with such a simple gesture.
Hit up your favourite bar or try somewhere new
It’s not just couples that are out on the town on the day of love. There’s also going to be a lot of single people celebrating their liberation or looking for their next person. So why not grab a girlfriend (or if you’re feeling brave, head out on your own) and visit a bar? Preferably one that does great cocktails.
Whether you’re looking to find someone or you want to spend some quality time with a friend, sipping some delicious drinks is a great way to spend the evening.
PS. Time Out is a great tool to find things going on in your city!
Book a trip
What better feeling is there than knowing you have a trip coming up? If you’re feeling down this Valentine’s Day, treat yourself to a getaway. Whether it’s a big euro trip or somewhere local, open yourself up to new experiences because life happens outside of your comfort zone. While it’s great having nights to veg on the couch, falling into that habit can lead you to feeling stuck. You never know what can happen in a new place!
Be proud of yourself!
There are so many people out there settling for relationships that don’t fulfil them simply because of the fear of being alone. It’s a valid emotion and as humans, we naturally crave interaction. But don’t let that be an excuse to be with someone who doesn’t treat you as well as you deserve! John Greene once said, “We accept the love we think we deserve” and that statement bears so much truth. Take this Valentine’s Day as a step towards showing yourself what you deserve.
Allow yourself to explore new facets of who you are and discover the beauty of life on your own. Because one day, the universe will plant the right person in your life. So for now, bask in the beauty of loving yourself.
