I have never had a valentine. Never. At the age of 19, a sophomore in college, I thought that was something that would bother me, but honestly it really doesn’t. If you know me, then you know I have been trying to push myself this year to go on more dates, and even though there is a guy I could go out with this week for Valentine’s Day, I honestly don’t really want to. This is because every year I’ve had a nice little Valentine’s night, and I still want to take that time to myself.
I start by getting into my comfiest pair of pjs and putting on a face mask. I then light my favorite candle and turn on my led lights. I’ll pull up whatever new rom-com is on Netflix or Hulu (To All the Boys I Loved Before Trilogy>>), grab some Valentine’s Day chocolate, and get all comfortable to watch my movie.
That’s it. It’s nothing super special or extravagant, but it is something I look forward to because I can just relax. Having self-care nights is very important, but being a busy college student, I often fail to find time to relax, or I feel guilty for watching a movie instead of doing work. However, with Valentine’s Day, I make sure to put aside time for myself, and having it be a day of love makes me feel less guilty for taking the time for self love.
This year for Valentine’s day, if you don’t have a person, or you just want to take a night to yourself, try having a little self-love on Valentine’s Day. There is something about doing what not only makes you happy but also caring for yourself on a night that is meant for couples that is just extremely liberating to me. I love being able to take a day meant for people in love, and making it a day where I can focus on self love without any guilt. Since I have started taking Valentine’s Day into my own hands and making it about loving myself, I have had some of the best Valentine’s Days, and this is a tradition I plan to keep up for a while.