As most of you are painfully aware, we will be entering the month of February this week.
With this comes the dreaded Hallmark-created holiday of Valentine’s Day.
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I have never been a fan of Valentine’s Day … ever. Every year I think about it with feelings of anticipatory doom and how much I hate it.
Before you label me as some Scrooge who just doesn’t like the “holiday” because I don’t have a significant other or something silly like that, let me stop you right there.
I believe you should let the people you care about know just how much you love them every day of the year. You shouldn’t have to be reminded by a holiday that you need to do this.
It also puts pressure on people to spend money when they might not have it. I know there are ways to give gifts that are inexpensive, but let’s be real here: I’m pretty sure every girl wants to be taken out to a nice dinner or given a cute gift of some kind. For goodness’ sake, we just got out of the holiday season — does anyone really have a ton of extra cash to blow at this point?
If you’re single on this occasion, it’s another painful reminder that you don’t have a boyfriend or girlfriend. If you’re in my position, let me be clear on this: IT IS OK TO BE SINGLE. Just because you don’t have a significant other doesn’t reflect poorly on you. Take this time to concentrate on yourself and make yourself an even better person than you already are. I’ve been using this time to focus on going to the gym and eating better, as well as making work my No. 1 priority.
Ready to learn how to combat the Valentine’s Day blues? Here are some ideas I’ve thought of:
- Arrange a girl’s or guy’s night with your fellow single friends to do something fun that avoids all of those Valentine’s Day hotspots. Go see a funny movie, grab some margaritas or play laser tag.
- If you have to be alone at home, rent a movie from RedBox that you’ve been meaning to watch, grab a glass (or two) of wine and unwind.
- Treat yourself to something nice. Go shopping and buy a new outfit, a new phone cover or anything you think will make you smile.
- Spend time with family if you can. If I lived close enough to home, I’d definitely love to be with my family instead. There’s nothing better than being around your loved ones when you’re feeling a little lonely.
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Image: Ambro / FreeDigitalPhotos.net