By Mylee Dubin
Ah, Valentine’s Day. The one day a year when your singleness seems to be thrown in your face. But don’t fret, my lonesome friend. Being single on the day of love doesn’t have to be all bad.
First thing’s first: make sure to drink lots of fluids, because according to your single peers in our Valentine’s Day survey, the #1 thing to do when you’re single on V-Day is “cry”. Whether it be “crying yourself to sleep” or crying whilst “eating your weight in candy,” it is 100% okay to let your emotions out.
Or maybe you have friends around you in the same boat. If you’re single but don’t want to be alone on Valentine’s Day, celebrate ‘Galentine’s’ instead! Go out with your friends, buy each other gifts, and celebrate the true friendships that matter most to you.
I heavily support Galentine’s. As a single gal myself, I have to find ways to not let myself feel down in the dumps for the whole day. Galentine’s happens to be my celebration of choice.
I love Galentine’s Day, but I also never expect my friends to buy me anything. Part of the joy for me is the gift of giving. I even tend to overspend when buying gifts for my friends. What can I say? Gift giving is my love language. Being able to put a smile on their faces by giving them something they might not have otherwise received is more than enough to make my Valentine’s Day, even if I am not on the receiving end.
That being said, you don’t need friends to celebrate Galentine’s. Celebrating by yourself can be a blessing in disguise. Treat yourself to something you know you love, don’t worry about someone else guessing on your gift. Buy your favorite candy and watch your favorite rom-coms! I will personally be downing a bag of Airhead X-tremes while crying to “Me Before You.” My favorite movie, 10/10 recommend.
And so what, we don’t have a relationship to glorify. Glorify having fun with friends instead! Don’t dwell on your singleness, romanticize it. How lucky are we to have absolute freedom right now to do whatever we want in our lives?
It’s also important to remember that you aren’t alone in your lonesomeness. 55.6% of people who answered the survey said they will most likely be single this Valentine’s Day, and 5.6% said they hope to be single! See? You don’t have to want a relationship if you don’t have one.
Being able to be comfortable with your relationship status is the first step to enjoying your single Valentine’s Day. If you love yourself, that’s really all that matters.
Don’t forget to treat the other important people in your life! Your parents give each other gifts, why not make it a family affair?
Of course, there is another option. Instead of acknowledging the harrowingly taunting day, treat it like any other day! As other students offered on the survey, “Keep living life” because “It’s like any other day.” They aren’t wrong. After all, we’ll all be at school that Wednesday no matter what.
If you’re struggling with the idea of being single on V-Day, you’re in luck! I have plenty of helpful tips to help you push through the day.
The first piece of advice might be the most important. Don’t compare yourself to those that are in relationships. Trust me boo, it is NOT worth it. You will find your person in due time, patience is the key.
Next: embrace it! Go ahead, throw it in everybody’s faces. Brag to them about not having to struggle to find a gift for anyone. Brag about your full bank account. As one student put it, “PARTY.” I mean, it’s a school night, but you do you.
Perhaps one of my favorite pieces of advice I read was from this student who wrote, “It is a day of all kinds of love, not just romantic love. You are no less valuable and incredible just because you haven’t found love in high school.” Amen to that.
And if all else fails, sleep the day away! February 15th is right around the corner.
I hope that if you are struggling with the idea of being single on Valentine’s Day, you found at least one idea or piece of advice to be helpful. Valentine’s Day is the day of love, so in case you don’t get to hear it, I love you!
