Take Care When You’re Single on Valentine’s Day
Are you single on Valentine’s Day? If you’re feeling sadness, loneliness, or despair, these are very real emotions. Honestly, it’s hard to be single on a holiday that’s all about couples.
You should recognize that you are important and loved by God whether you are contentedly single, or deeply desiring a partner. Your experience matters and your feelings are your own. I have come not to “fix” those feelings, but to help you find joy, fun, and love on a holiday that can be difficult for single women.
Here’s 5 Ways to Celebrate Valentine’s Day When You’re Single:
1. Read a Love Letter from God
What’s your love language? If words of affirmation make you smile, then reading a love letter from God will be particularly meaningful to you. The Bible is filled with God’s words of incredible, unconditional, and perfect love towards you.
Some very creative and caring people have gathered God’s heartfelt words about us and compiled it into a love letter style at fathersloverletter.com. I recommend reading or watching “God’s Love Letter to You” on Valentine’s Day.
Let these lovely words soak into your heart as you are surrounded by God’s love for you.
2. Celebrate “Galentine’s Day”
Galentine’s Day is a fictional holiday that has become increasingly popular these days. It’s a holiday celebrating female friendship and usually takes place the day before Valentine’s Day.
I have thoroughly enjoyed this made-up holiday by gathering my girlfriends together, laughing, eating sweets, and embracing the beauty of sisterhood.
In fact, I have started replacing Valentine’s Day with it all together and I’m excited each year to have a party for my girlfriends.
I encourage you to celebrate it any time in February. There’s so much you can do on Galentine’s Day. Get your sisters together for brunch or game night. Have desserts, dress up, or drink champagne. Share encouraging words with one another and have fun.
One year, I made chocolate covered strawberries, bought ring pops, and wrote gratitude cards to each of my girlfriends.
Believe me, celebrating what you have this year—amazing friendships with other women—will uplift your spirits and give you positivity for the month.
You might also like: This Sermon by Andy Stanley Changed My Life: ‘Love, Sex, & Dating’
3. Pay it Forward
I once went to In N’ Out Burger on Valentine’s Day. As I sat in the drive thru line, I decided to treat the person behind me. I thought, “if today is about love, I want someone to feel loved.”
I paid it forward.
There is something uplifting and heartwarming about treating others and doing random acts of kindness. I have continued on this tradition each year. I choose a coffee shop or favorite food place and pay it forward.
If you want to pay it forward on Valentine’s Day too, I suggest you go somewhere you love so you also get a treat. Be sure to also choose a spot that’s within your budget. It’s not about the amount of money you spend, but the heart behind making someone’s day a little brighter. Who knows? You might start a chain reaction with your one act of kindness.
4. Treat Yourself
Give yourself permission to shower yourself with love and self-care on this day. Find affordable ways to treat yourself. Valentine’s Day can come with unnecessary pressure for those of us that are single. It makes sense to provide extra care to ourselves.
What do you love to do? Do you enjoy pedicures and massages? Do you love a certain type of food? Or enjoy being outdoors? Maybe you have a blast going to the movies.
Whatever it is that always makes you smile, do it. Spend the money that day on yourself. Show yourself that you are valuable, worthy, a treasure. This will hopefully make the day more special than hard.
There may still be hard moments, but if you are intentional about filling that day with things you love, it will soften them.
5. Let the Day Pass
We don’t need to make something happen on Valentine’s Day. Sometimes, we don’t need a hack or to make things positive. It is okay to do nothing and let the day pass by.
You don’t have to participate in the activities, go to parties, or look at Instagram.
Maybe you just need to let the holiday go by without your participation. Sometimes, this is the healthiest thing we can do.
We set boundaries for ourselves because it might just be too hard for us to try. You may not even feel anything about Valentine’s Day or the fact that you are single.
If that’s the case—just let it be.
Don’t bother with social media. Go to work, come home, eat dinner, and go to bed. It is just one day of the year and it will be over before you know it.
