Not Another Valentine’s Day Article

I have never been the biggest fan of V A L E N T I N E ‘ S D A Y. I won’t give you a speech about how it promotes consumerism and draws attention to how single people are; nope not giving that speech. All I’ll say is I don’t see how wearing red and buying presents shows you love someone. (There. No rant, just had to say it.) Regardless, because I’m in a relationship I decided to read up on the greatly despised holiday in preparation. Brit+ Co suggests wearing red, making sure your eyeshadow is sparkly and your manicure is festive, while the Frisky recommends burning all Valentine’s day paraphernalia.

All those tips are just fine and dandy (careful with the lighter) but each source promotes tips for people who either love Valentine’s Day or rather skip it. So I decided to create a quick guide for both individuals.

1. Buy yourself a gift
Whether you’re in a relationship or not Valentine’s Day can be seen as just another day to pamper yourself. Sure the chocolate is overpriced and its harder to get your hands on the good stuff, but would it be as fun if it was easy?

No Expectations = No Disappointment

2. Don’t have any expectations
This just happens to be advice I live by. Don’t expect your significant other to buy you a dozen roses and write you a poem proclaiming their love. That kind of stuff only happens in movies. And if you’re single don’t expect Mr. (or Ms.) perfect to appear out of thin air telling you how they’ve always been in love with you. If you’re not expecting anything, you’ll be more grateful for everything.

3. Do nice things for others
Ever heard the saying “No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another”? Well Dickens had a point, Valentine’s Day is a great chance to lighten the burden. Take a moment during this overly romanticized day to surprise your neighbor with a good deed or kind words.

4. Be active
Whether you like it or not, Feb. 14 is just one of those days that draws attention to how happy you are. It’s not all that bad when you think about it. One of the best ways to feel great and look good, is to make time for the gym. So come V-day, show yourself some love and workout.

5. Journal
If this holiday is supposedly about love, who better to love than yourself? Take time out of your (not so) busy Valentine’s day to reflect on who you are and who you want to be, because at the end of the day, valentine or no valentine, you have to know and love yourself before you can love anyone else.

Leave a comment below sharing your tips for overcoming Valentine’s Day

Photos from refinery 29 & pinterest

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