Being single on Valentine’s Day can be hard. All-day you have to see flowers and chocolate, and big stuffed animals. Everybody’s talking about the date they have planned or the gifts they got. It’s easy to feel like everyone in the world is in love but you.

Our culture has over-romanticized love. Relationships are great, but being single is too, just in a different way. It’s important to remind ourselves that periods of time without relationships are not wasted time. They can be a positive thing. 

Step one to learning to accept your single-ness is to stop being sad on Valentine’s Day, and make fun, positive plans instead. 

 

1. Spend time with your friends.

   Valentine’s Day is about celebrating love. Why can’t we choose to celebrate all kinds of love? Invite your friends over and do something fun! Choose to appreciate all the wonderful people that make life fun.

 

2. Do something nice for someone else.

   You’re not the only one that wants to feel loved. Go out of your way to make someone else feel special! Compliment a stranger, write someone a sweet note, volunteer somewhere. Making other people’s Valentine’s Day better will make yours better too.

 

3. Celebrate Galentine’s Day instead.

   Valentine’s Day is kinda overrated. Feel free to just opt out entirely. Treat February 14th like any other day, and celebrate February 13th instead. Get some friends together and throw an awesome Galentine’s Day party full of chocolate and Parks and Recreation (or whatever else you want). 

 

4. Rearrange your room. 

   Changing your surroundings can actually make you happier! Living in a messy unorganized space can cause stress and frustration, so clean some stuff out, Get rid of all your trash, and move the furniture around. Take a trip to Hobby Lobby and redecorate. You’ll feel better, and your life will be significantly more aesthetic. 

 

5. Give yourself a makeover. 

   Try following a makeup tutorial. Fix your hair a way you’ve never tried before. Put together a cute outfit that you feel good in. Hype yourself up! Remind yourself that you are uniquely beautiful and worthy of love. 

 

6. Bake some Valentine’s Day cookies. 

   Everybody knows that the best part of Valentine’s Day, whether you have a boyfriend or not, is the sweets. Find a recipe that sounds good (or easy depending on your baking ability), and make something delicious for yourself. You aren’t obligated to share when you’re single.

 

7. Go out to eat.

   If your only plan for Valentine’s Day is to sit at home alone, you’re probably going to get sad. So go out for a while! Treat yourself to your favorite restaurant. Feel free to invite a friend, or just go by yourself. 

 

8. Have a sleepover.

   Maybe you don’t feel like going out and seeing all the couples. Stay in and do some adorable, classic sleepover activities with your besties. Order some pizza, put on a movie, and spill all the tea!

 

9. Set some time aside for self-care. 

   Get some facemasks, get in the bath, take a nap. Do whatever makes you feel relaxed. Take some time to just focus on yourself and your needs. 

 

10. Have a movie marathon.

   Scroll through Netflix, or Dinsey+, or whatever else you watch TV on, and pick out a few of your all-time favorite movies. Here’s the challenge: don’t pick any romances. 

 

11. Go on a shopping spree. 

   Appreciate the fact that being single means you get to be a little selfish sometimes. Use all the money you would have spent on a fancy date or a gift on a new wardrobe. 

 

12. Make cards for your friends. 

   Making crafts can be really fun, and making your friend’s day is even better. Take the time to make your cards really creative and cute. Maybe google some interesting craft tutorials, or just write a sweet note. Make sure it’s personalized!

 

13. Stay off social media. 

   This is less of a fun suggestion and more of a practical tip. Social media tends to make people sad anyway, and if you’re prone to getting sad on Valentine’s Day, don’t do things that will obviously make that worse. 

 

14. Just don’t be sad. 

   No matter what you end up doing, don’t allow yourself to start self-pitying. Moping around doesn’t change our situation, it just prevents us from making the most out of it. Don’t get stuck in a cycle of negativity. Train yourself to just not care. At the end of the day, February 14th is just another day. 

 

Like most things in life, Valentine’s Day is what you make it. You can choose to make it miserable and lonely, but it’s a lot more fun to just be positive. Plan something cute that you enjoy to do, give yourself something to look forward to, and take this opportunity to learn the importance of a positive attitude.