Don’t Let V-Day Get You Down

A wise man once said, “There are only three things certain in this world: Death, Taxes and Valentine’s Day.” That wise man is me. So, when Valentine’s Day rolls around and you’re single, you’re most likely hoping for the first certainty.

The only reason you’d be reading this is if you’re single during the season, and if you’re not, at least you’ll be enlightened!

Couples always say the same thing to their single friends …

“It can’t be that bad!” or “At least you save money!”

Although they technically aren’t lying, those aren’t the reasons why you feel bummed for being on your own on February 14th. The real reason is that it just plain sucks seeing all your friends planning and getting excited for a day they get to spoil their significant other.

It’s not that you feel jealous of your friends — not at all. Besides being a cash cow holiday for card companies, Valentine’s Day just makes you take a hard look at your own life.

Are you where you want to be? You’re single, yeah, but why? Is it because you’re not putting yourself out there enough? Maybe you’re just not ready for a relationship. Or maybe people just don’t like you.

It’s a harsh truth that we sometimes need to hear in order for us to wake up and take note of the fact that we might not be the most pleasant person to be around. You know, sometimes we’re grumpy, negative and angsty for no reason, and it shows.

Speaking of being unattractive, your physical appearance has very little to do with attraction! You don’t have to be a super model or anything — you can supplement dashing good looks with a great personality!

I know it sounds cliche but it’s true. People crave attention and if you show a sense of humor, enough interest and genuine kindness, you’ll automatically become attractive!

All that aside, I wanted to give some tips on going about Valentine’s Day by yourself without feeling too bummed.

Stay at home and watch Netflix

This one is simple because it comes naturally to us anyway. Put on a feel-good flick or a comedy and just binge watch. We have tons of suggestions on what to watch. Get some junk food and spend the remaining few hours after work or school just watching dumb stuff.

Stay Away From Date Spots

Trust me. You’ll immediately feel like your single-ness is amplified just by being present in a restaurant or mall. Hit up your local dive bar because chances are it’ll be filled with people who have the same thing on their mind. Hell, you might even meet someone!

Take Out Your Mom

If your parents aren’t the date-going type, treat your mom or dad to a nice dinner or a movie. They like to have a good time too! Also, it’ll make you feel really good about yourself because, more often than not, we are so busy growing up that we forget our parents are growing old.

Ask Your Crush to be Your Valentine!

Only if they’re single! If you’ve had your eye on a special someone at work or school and they’re single also, they are probably feeling crappy about their relationship status too in the weeks leading up to Valentine’s Day.

As rude as it may sound, they probably have their guard down also, hoping that they’ll be asked by someone so they won’t be alone on V-Day. If that’s the case, they may even learn that you are a very pleasant person after all. Lastly …

Think About All The Relationship Problems You Hear Your Friends Complain About

This one is easy if you have friends who are always having issues in their relationship. In an odd way, thinking about their issues will make you feel better about being single, and it may even open your eyes to the fact that most relationships are hanging by a thread anyway!

Not everyone’s relationships are as perfect as the ones you see on TV, and Valentine’s Day doesn’t magically make it so. In fact, Valentine’s Day has become more of an Instagram holiday, meaning that couples use it as an excuse to flex on social media. There’s more that happens off social media anyway, so don’t hate, just let them have this day.

So there. If you’re alone on Valentine’s Day, don’t worry. Most of us are! It’s also not as important as it may seem at the time. You’re awesome, even if you don’t think so!