No Valentine, No Problem

Valentine’s Day is overrated, celebrate yourself

One week into February, and I could already smell the red roses and taste the chocolate from the heart shaped box.  I watch couples flood the stores to pick up gifts such as stuffed animals, flowers, chocolate, pink and red balloons, or anything to make their partner feel loved.

Valentine’s Day is an over romanticized holiday, that in reality paints a picture of perfect relationships. According to Google, Valentine’s Day is a festival of romantic love where people arrange romantic meals in restaurants, or present flowers and presents to their spouse or partner.

Well, not this year Google.

On this holiday, society loves to pressure people into feeling like crap because they are not in a romantic relationship, or because they want to spend the day alone.

It almost feels forced. Like we are forced to exchange soppy love poems with our partner, or how we are forced to conform to the Valentines Day regimen.

There has always been a stigma around being alone, that it is scary and unpleasant. However, Psychology Today reports that being alone is not unpleasant, but in fact really important to one’s health.

Being alone allows you to drop your “social guard”, giving you the freedom to truly think for yourself.

This is important in terms of healthy relationships, because being alone helps us grasp what we actually want in a relationship, and gives us the time to understand and value ourselves, which means we will be able to better understand and value others.

Bottom line, how can you possibly have a healthy relationship with others, if you have not learned to have one with yourself.

Whether you are just getting out of a relationship, or have never been in a relationship, remember that not having a romantic Valentine’s Day, does not define you.

Put on your favorite sexy outfit, and take advantage of the chocolate sales and give yourself the Valentine’s Day you deserve.

Take a second, celebrate yourself, and then when you are ready, call up your favorite friends and celebrate each other.