Valentine’s Day can be overwhelming. The holiday is marketed as a day to celebrate romantic relationships, and perfect couples can be seen in every advertisement. For the majority of the month of February, everything is decorated with pink and red hearts. PDA is seen everywhere, as couples profess their love to each other. At work and school, gifts are given, and anyone who doesn’t receive flowers can feel their self-worth drop. So many people have grown to dread this holiday, but it doesn’t have to be this way.
Valentine’s Day is meant to be a celebration of love of all kinds. Valentine’s can be a day to recognize and appreciate family, friends, and even yourself. Don’t spend the day moping or feeling down. Instead, spend it with some of your closest friends, or take some time for yourself. Here are two great ways you can spend Valentine’s Day!
Pay It Forward:
If you are feeling especially down on Valentine’s Day, thinking about how you can help other people is a great option for you! If you have the time and means, there are many organizations that need volunteers any day of the year. Volunteering your time at a local soup kitchen or homeless shelter is a great way to give back to your community.
If you are not able to be somewhere physically, many children’s hospitals are offering the opportunity to send a valentine to one of their patients.
- Texas Children’s Hospital: http://give.texaschildrens.org/site/PageServer?pagename=ValentinesDayCampaign
- Boston Children’s Hospital: https://secure.childrenshospital.org/site/SPageNavigator/happy_valentines_day_2018.html
- Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles: https://secure1.chla.org/site/SPageNavigator/valentine2017.html
- Arkansas Children’s Hospital: https://giving.archildrens.org/valentine
- C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital: http://www.mottchildren.org/valentine
- Cincinnati Children’s Hospital: https://giving.cincinnatichildrens.org/send-a-valentine
Spa Night:
While a spa night can easily be done with friends, it is a great way to have a self-care night with just yourself too! Some of my favorite products to use on a spa night are face masks, body scrub, candles or essential oils, and a nice nail polish. Bath bombs are one of my favorite ways to pamper myself, but since I am at college, I do not have a bath. These and similar shower tablets offer a similar experience, releasing essential oils into the air as you shower.
Another great way to expand upon your self-care night is to treat your mental and physical health. Yoga and stretching offer a great way to feel more in tune with your body. Loosening the tension in your body through stretching can help you to fully relax. Mentally, meditation is a great option for feeling more mindful and peaceful. Guided meditation is a great start for those who don’t know where to start. Youtuber BohoBeautiful offers great workout videos and guided meditations to do at your own pace. Stop, Breathe, and Think is an app available on both the App Store and Google Play that offers quick meditation and breathing walk-throughs that are great on a spa night, or any other time you are feeling the need to de-stress.
No matter what you decide to do on Valentine’s Day, remember how easily it is to get caught up in the pressure of the holiday. Reminding yourself that it is just another day and spending time with those you love can help you to dispel some of the anxiety that may surround the day.
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