Like many of the made up holidays Valentine's Day can be pretty tough going if you aren't in a relationship. For some, it can enhance a sense of loneliness or serve to make you feel unloved. But really, the healthiest way to deal with it is to put those 24 hours in to perspective. (You'll probably be asleep for about 8 hours of them anyway, so that already narrows it down to 16!) Here's how:
Tip 1. In one way or another we have been hypnotized in to thinking that February 14th is really important. But please do remember, even though Valentines Day is an old, established tradition, it is used to help vendors sell cards, flowers, chocolates and other gifts, while it also gives restaurants the excuse to charge outrageous prices for set menus.
Tip 2. If you are going to take it seriously then change your perspective and look at Valentine's Day as a universal day of love, which actually is much healthier. That means it becomes a day to remind you to love yourself, your family, your friends, your associates and human beings, in general. I am of the mind, that you should never waste an opportunity, any day, to declare and show love to people you love. Life is too short not to be expressed in that way and at the end of your life, if you don't do it on a regular basis, that is most likely to be your biggest regret, So if Valentine's Day, is really going to be useful, it can serve to remind you of that.
Tip 3. If you are concerned that last year you were with someone and this year you're single. Just be aware that it is better to be by yourself and wait for the right person to come along, than to celebrate a day with someone who isn't right for you, just so that you can fill in a hole and feel that you are not alone.
Tip 4. If you are single now, enjoy it. When you do meet the person for you, you will have plenty of Valentine's together and many people who are together choose not to take Valentine's too seriously. In a relationship that works well, every day presents itself to be a day of giving love to your partner. Without making one of the three hundred and sixty five days an extra special day.
Tip 5. Let this be a day for you to think about what kind of relationship you do want, and serve to remind you of what qualities you are looking for in a partner. I am actually going to expand on this next week and give you some very useful tips to help you attract your life partner.
In the meantime, that's it for this week and if you would like to contact me, please do so at sophie@howhappyis.com.