Valentine's Day, Friend or Foe?
The month of February is known for being many things. Not only is it the shortest month of the year, but there are also numerous holidays and celebrations. From Black History Month to Groundhog Day there’s plenty to do during February. Of all the holidays during this glorious month, Valentine’s Day seems to receive the most hype and cause the most stress.
Valentine’s Day has become associated with love, candy, flowers, headaches, guilt, and expensive dinners and gifts those in relationship feel obligated to buy.
For those not in a relationship, Valentine’s Day can be a depressing, difficult, and arduous day to muster through.
Whether in a relationship or not, there is no need to stress about Valentine’s Day.
Instead, here are a few tips to help make this over-marketed holiday a memorable or, at the very least, a tolerable one.
1. Lower your expectations
Valentine’s Day is one day of the year. Just because it’s associated with love doesn’t mean that if you don’t have a Valentine you’re alone.
Nor does it mean, if you have a Valentine, that you have to buy a lot of crap and shower your partner with expensive tokens of your appreciation. It’s not like it's the only day of the year you can celebrate your love.
2. Remember all the love in your life
Though we think of romantic love first when it comes to celebrating Valentine’s Day, there’s no reason the holiday can’t be about appreciating all the love in your life.
Family and friends are just as important to our health and wellness. Try taking the day to remember all the blessings in your life.
3. Do something fun
We typically associate Valentine’s activities to romantic gestures like dinner or special surprises, which can be stressful for both those in a relationship and those who are not. We often resent the day for various reasons, like it’s a chore we have to complete before we can move on to St. Patrick’s Day.
This year try to doing something out-of-the-box and fun. Instead of dinner, go rock climbing. Instead of going to a movie, binge watch a TV show you haven’t seen instead.
If you aren’t in a relationship pamper yourself or gather some friends for a game night at home.
The point is, once we remove the obligation and add something fun into the celebration, the holiday will be a whole lot less stressful in the end.
4. Do it another day
For those in a relationship, try celebrating your love on another day. Going to restaurants or events on Valentine’s can be stressful. It's a busy holiday. Avoid the crowds and bustle, and celebrate at a later date. When it comes to celebrating love, any day of the year could also work.
5. Do nothing
When it comes to celebrating Valentine’s Day you have to ask yourself, is worth it? If you are a Valentine nut, that’s fine, but if you’re not, there’s nothing wrong with not celebrating the day at all.
There’s no need to stress and possibly go into debt for the holiday. Stress, anger, and negativity can be detrimental to our health. It affects our energy level, mood, and livelihood. It makes us sick and causes real harm to our bodies.
If Valentine’s Day is a stressful celebration for you, then don’t do it. It’s one day, and no one will think less of you if you treat it like any other day of the year.
The month of February is known for being many things. Not only is it the shortest month of the year, but there are also numerous holidays and celebrations. From Black History Month to Groundhog Day there’s plenty to do during February. Of all the holidays during this glorious month, Valentine’s Day seems to receive the most hype and cause the most stress.
Valentine’s Day has become associated with love, candy, flowers, headaches, guilt, and expensive dinners and gifts those in relationship feel obligated to buy.
For those not in a relationship, Valentine’s Day can be a depressing, difficult, and arduous day to muster through.
Whether in a relationship or not, there is no need to stress about Valentine’s Day.
Instead, here are a few tips to help make this over-marketed holiday a memorable or, at the very least, a tolerable one.
1. Lower your expectations
Valentine’s Day is one day of the year. Just because it’s associated with love doesn’t mean that if you don’t have a Valentine you’re alone.
Nor does it mean, if you have a Valentine, that you have to buy a lot of crap and shower your partner with expensive tokens of your appreciation. It’s not like it's the only day of the year you can celebrate your love.
2. Remember all the love in your life
Though we think of romantic love first when it comes to celebrating Valentine’s Day, there’s no reason the holiday can’t be about appreciating all the love in your life.
Family and friends are just as important to our health and wellness. Try taking the day to remember all the blessings in your life.
3. Do something fun
We typically associate Valentine’s activities to romantic gestures like dinner or special surprises, which can be stressful for both those in a relationship and those who are not. We often resent the day for various reasons, like it’s a chore we have to complete before we can move on to St. Patrick’s Day.
This year try to doing something out-of-the-box and fun. Instead of dinner, go rock climbing. Instead of going to a movie, binge watch a TV show you haven’t seen instead.
If you aren’t in a relationship pamper yourself or gather some friends for a game night at home.
The point is, once we remove the obligation and add something fun into the celebration, the holiday will be a whole lot less stressful in the end.
4. Do it another day
For those in a relationship, try celebrating your love on another day. Going to restaurants or events on Valentine’s can be stressful. It's a busy holiday. Avoid the crowds and bustle, and celebrate at a later date. When it comes to celebrating love, any day of the year could also work.
5. Do nothing
When it comes to celebrating Valentine’s Day you have to ask yourself, is worth it? If you are a Valentine nut, that’s fine, but if you’re not, there’s nothing wrong with not celebrating the day at all.
There’s no need to stress and possibly go into debt for the holiday. Stress, anger, and negativity can be detrimental to our health. It affects our energy level, mood, and livelihood. It makes us sick and causes real harm to our bodies.
If Valentine’s Day is a stressful celebration for you, then don’t do it. It’s one day, and no one will think less of you if you treat it like any other day of the year.
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