For all the people who are their own valentine.
Written by Julia Lastic
February is arguably the worst month of the year to be single. The winter months are cold, grey and lonely as is. On top of that, every store is decked out with flowers, chocolates, stuffed animals and anything they can shape into a red or pink heart (literally everything is heart shaped). It seems like at this time of year couples all around are more overly affectionate than usual. Social media is overflowing with romantic posts with people you didn’t even know were together. During February, whether you are running a quick errand or scrolling through social media, you are pretty much constantly reminded of just how single you are.
Valentine's Day is supposed to be a celebration of love, traditionally with a romantic partner. This leads us to the ultimate question: if we don’t have a romantic partner, are we not entitled to celebrate Valentine's Day?
The stigma of the phrase, “single on Valentine’s Day,” makes society believe single people are supposed to, and are, feeling lonely, empty and automatically miserable on the holiday. People seriously picture single people on Valentine's Day lying in their bed, eating chocolates and crying while watching a Nicholas Sparks movie. The worst part is, we even feel bad for ourselves that we don’t have anyone to celebrate this day of love with. As a result, I notice a lot of single people on social media expressing their Valentine's Day dread, my friends included. This is all because us single people don’t fit into the typical romantic Valentine's Day picture.
As a single person on Valentine’s Day, I wish to speak on behalf of the single community and express how we truly feel about this matter. There is so much unnecessary judgement and pressure about being single during Valentine's Day. Societal standards about Valentine's Day make it feel like we are less worthy of love on this day. I think it is time for all of us to work together and put a stop to “single shaming.” Therefore, we can let go of the anxiety and stress that comes with it.
We deserve to be loved and cherished regardless of our relationship status. For this reason, we are more than deserving to celebrate Valentine’s Day. In fact, I believe that singles should take Valentine's day to reflect on the most important (and longest lasting) kind of love there is: self love. They say there is no better love than self love, therefore, there is no better valentine than yourself. I know there is a lot of pressure about celebrating the holiday with a significant other, but for now, focus on creating that ultimate love story with yourself.
For those who struggle spending their Valentine's Day alone, here is my ultimate guide on how to embrace being your own valentine:
Pamper yourself: Make yourself feel good by doing a face mask, painting your nails or doing your makeup. You are beautiful and deserve to feel it too.
Eat your favorite food: Nothing makes you feel better than eating your favorite food. Splurge on something you have been recently craving.
Watch your favorite feel-good movie: Enjoy your favorite food while watching your favorite movie. Whatever genre makes you feel happy. I will be watching my favorite rom-com, “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days.”
Listen to The Vindicator’s playlist: Check out The Vindicator’s “for the lovers of love” playlist to uplift your spirits. Dance in your room and sing along to your favorite love songs.
Call your best friend: Nothing brings on the feel good vibes than talking and laughing with your best friend.