If dating was hard before COVID-19, it definitely didn’t get any easier after the pandemic hit. Even if you’re in a relationship, you may not be able to see your significant other this year due to lockdowns and mandatory quarantines.
If you’re spending Valentine’s Day alone this year, it’s a great opportunity to focus on yourself and practice some great self-care. Here are a few ways to love yourself this Valentine’s Day.
1. Redecorate
One way to show yourself some love is to make sure that your environment matches what you want it to look like. If you have Pinterest boards centered around your “dream home,” what’s stopping you from making your current living situation be closer to your dream home? Even if you’re part of the 27% of Americans renting their home, you can still redecorate in some ways to make your home feel more like you.
Consider replacing any wall art that you have or hanging up some new things. If you decide to take the tip from later in this post and make some art on Valentine’s Day, you can hang up your new creation as well. Even rearranging your furniture can make your home feel completely different than it currently does.
2. Have a Spa Day
This is a classic self-care tip for a reason: nothing feels better than being pampered. The classic parts of an at-home spa day include things like face masks and bath bombs, but you can do even more than that to create a spa-like experience for Valentine’s Day.
You can use an essential oil diffuser along with a relaxing scent, like lavender, in your bathroom to create a relaxing experience that will make you feel like you’re in a spa.
If you want to recreate a massage at home, you can look into buying a foam roller. These tools, which you can find at most sporting goods stores, are used by athletes to roll out sore muscles, creating a similar effect to a massage. If you’re looking to invest more in your at-home spa experience, you can also look into massage guns.
3. Journal
Journalling is a great way to connect with what you’re really feeling, especially if you’ve been struggling with difficult emotions lately. If you’re part of the 50% of marriages that end in separation or divorce, you may want to journal about the confusing feelings surrounding a holiday completely about romance, or you may want to just write down what’s going on in your life.
You can find great journal prompts online, and here’s another one to think about: what makes you happy? How can you bring those things into your daily life?
4. Have Your Favorite Meal
There’s nothing more comforting than eating your favorite meal in the entire world. Whether that means making your mom’s lasagna recipe or getting take out from your favorite Chinese place, that’s up to you. Having your favorite food is definitely an easy way to show yourself some love this Valentine’s Day.
You can also try out something new if you’re feeling adventurous. You can order out from a restaurant that you’ve wanted to try for some time but haven’t wanted to splurge on yet, or you can make a new recipe that’s more time-consuming than your normal cooking routine. Whatever it is, you can easily make your Valentine’s Day meals special.
5. Move Your Body
The endorphins that come from exercises are a great way to feel happier anytime, not just on Valentine’s Day. Moving your body in a way that you enjoy is great way to take care of yourself and love yourself and your body. Whether that means doing a dance workout, a barre class, going for a walk, or going for a run, you can do whatever makes you feel the best.
If you have any aches and pains, you can also take time to address them with over the counter or natural pain remedies. For example, if you take bioactive collagen peptides, or BCPs, you may be able to reduce knee pain symptoms by up to 37.5%. You can also take Motrin or other anti-inflammatory medications to help you with pain during exercising. The best course of action if you’re feeling pain, of course, is to talk with your doctor.
6. Go Offline
Instagram on Valentine’s Day can become your worst enemy when you’re spending the holiday alone. With every couple that you know posting something about their relationship to make it seem picture-perfect (emphasis on seem), it can be overwhelming.
Instead, take the day to totally disconnect from social media. The world won’t end because you don’t check your Twitter or Snapchat for a day, and if anything big happens that you’re worried about missing, you can always ask a friend to keep an eye out.
7. Get Creative
Making something artistic is a great way to spend your solo Valentine’s Day. Whether you decide to paint something, make a vision board collage, scrapbook a favorite memory, embroider, knit, or any other creative endeavor.
Being able to use your creative energy to make something physical that you can hold onto is a rewarding experience, even if you’re not creating something that could go in an art museum.
Once you’re done, you can hang up or otherwise display your new work of art to remind you that you can make beautiful things. It’s a nice reminder for your future self, especially when you’re struggling with something in your life.
8. Have a Dance Party
There is nothing quite like the feeling of putting on some music that you can’t help but dance to and just going for it. Whether you want to put on some current pop hits from Ariana Grande or a throwback from Britney Spears, you can curate your own personal perfect dance playlist and go for it.
It can be very fun and invigorating to just dance for yourself and no one else, and it’s a great way to celebrate yourself and show yourself a little love this Valentine’s Day.
Spending Valentine’s Day alone can be hard, but if you shift your mindset to think about spending the day with yourself and not with no one, you can have a great day.
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