I spent most of teen years spending life as a singleton, so I’ve had my fair share of lonely V-Days. But this year is my first year in a while where I’m spending it by myself. Really, it’s just another day. But with social media growing year on year, it’s hard to escape the suffocating romance that surrounds it. As result, it’s a day that reminds you of what you had with some and then, in turn, what you lost. Depending where you are in the grief cycle, that shit can be fucking painful.
But as I’ve written below, there are ways you can genuinely enjoy the day. And if you commit to doing something for yourself, rather than hoping someone will do something for you, you’ll feel a hell of a lot more stronger and liberated. Plus, without a SO around, there’s little to no chance that your Valentine’s Day will be forgotten about. It’s a win-win really.
A Pamper Day
Pamper days are good for the soul. If you’ve got a bit of dosh to spend, you could treat yourself to an actual spa with proper treatments and professional massages. Maybe you’re middle of the range money-wise, and you want to treat yourself to a couple of new goodies (The Birth of Venus by LUSH is amazing if you want a recommendation). Or you could be like me — who’s a week away from payday — and pampering with all the free samples from Sephora and MECCA, along with a good old mask from LUSH and painting my nails. Whatever floats your boat (and your bank account).
Create a Bucket List
Valentine’s Day or not, creating a bucket list is a pretty great thing to do in general (especially after a break up). So if you want to put one together, use V-Day to write one because it’s pretty hard to feel lonely when you’re thinking about all the things you want to enjoy and achieve. These things could range from travel to career goals, trying new hobbies or creating new habits. But the most important thing is that they are things YOU want to do for YOU. Once you’re done, it’s time to figure out when, where and how you can tick them off. You won’t get them all done within a fortnight, but the best part about a bucket list is you can always refer to them when you’re feeling lonely, unmotivated or just stuck in the rush of life.
Dress Up (Just for the Hell of it)
In all honesty, you should be dressing up to impress yourself everyday. But just incase you aren’t: today is they day where you do it for you. Maybe you want to wear your sexiest lingerie or your favourite yoga pants. Who cares, as long as you’re happy and impressed. Because you’re doing this all for your damn self and no one else.
Take Yourself Out on a Date
If you’ve never taken yourself out on a date, the time is now. It’s so liberating. Granted, initially it can feel a bit weird and lonely. But do you really need someone’s inconsiderate commentary ruining a movie? No. Do you need someone to watch you gorge on a smashed avo at brunch? No. The best part of taking yourself on a date is you don’t need to think about anyone else and what they want. Unlike yourself, some people won’t be able to see the latest rom-com or dine at their favourite restaurant because their SO chucked a tanty. But you can take sweet, sweet joy in knowing that person is not you (not this year anyway).
Movie Marathon (With Your Celeb Crush)
You can’t go wrong having a movie marathon featuring your celebrity crush. They’re dreamy, gorgeous and the best part is they’ll never let you down. Yes, they’ll probably never know your name either. But you can’t deny the rush of endorphins you feel when their face flickers on screen. So jump on Netflix and get watching.
Galentine’s Day
Yes, you might be single. But there are still a bunch of people in your life that you love to goddamn pieces. People like your gal pals. So get together with your nearest and dearest and enjoy the day together. Maybe you’ll do something on this list, or perhaps you could throw a little (anti-valentine) shindig. Either way, so long as you’re enjoying your day with your closest pals, that’s all that matters.
Have you developed a favourite way or tradition to celebrate this god awful lovely day? I’d love to know how you’re surviving enjoying it, so leave me a comment below!
