Valentine’s Day is traditionally a day to celebrate love and romance. But what about those who are single? Being dateless on February 14 makes a lot of people feel lonely and depressed, while the truth is, they can be happy realizing all the benefits of it. So, no need to be sorry, Valentine’s Day has something for you, as well.
For millions of people around the world, Valentine’s Day is a wonderful, romantic time for celebrating their love. And it’s often considered that singles should feel depressed. But is it so?
Many people who have no date on the holiday simply don’t care. According to a 2013 survey, 61 percent of the single participants and 71 percent of the separated people said they weren’t concerned with being alone on Valentine’s Day. In fact, less than 5 percent of all men and women who took part in the research admitted they needed to get rid of loneliness by surrounding themselves with people. According to Kristen Mark, PhD, assistant professor at the University of Kentucky and author of the report, an even more common stereotype was found untrue. Contrary to common belief, women were not more attached to Valentine’s Day than men. It turns out Valentine’s Day isn’t really a day of loneliness and anxiety for singles. While some people will make it a day of grieving over a recent loss, others will manage to be happy and fully content with being single.
However, if you are among those who tend to suffer from depression, there are few ways to stop pitying yourself and start enjoying Valentine’s Day on your own.
Start with realizing what Valentine’s Day truly is – a commercial holiday, which is not about love and relationships at all. In fact, it is more about selling flowers, candy and diamond jewelry. Instead of being sorry for all this, think of all the money you are saving. Then, don’t forget that love does not mean romance only. On this day, we should be celebrating love in general and be with the people who already have relationships with us – friends and family members. To avoid the unpleasant sight of happy couples in love, try not to dine out tonight. Plan a party at home with your single friends and you’ll forget the blues in an instant. This is also a great opportunity to find new love, so cheer up.
And most of all, do not define yourself by your relationship status – being single doesn’t mean there’s something wrong with you. So, you shouldn’t be ashamed of your status, but celebrating it. After all, there are benefits for singles, too. Besides saving money from gifts, being on your own brings you few great things. Singles have freedom, more parties, and definitely more fun. You can do anything and go everywhere and sleep as late as you want on the weekends. You have the right to flirt without having to answer to anyone.
Another important step in improving your attitude to Valentine’s Day is realizing its illusory nature. In fact, coupled people are not necessarily happy and satisfied with their life. Many marriages end up with divorces and terrible consequences for the spouses. Do you really want to be in a fake relationship, so that you are not alone? It’s best to be honest with yourself and the others and admit you’re fine without a date.
The best thing to do on Valentine’s Day if there’s nobody to share it with is enjoying and indulging yourself. Spend the day loving yourself with your favourite box of chocolates or candy. Stay home, watch all the moves you like, pamper yourself with a spa treatment, and do whatever makes you happy. After all, when there’s no one else to please, you can please and adore yourself.
