Since its beginning, Valentine’s has evolved dramatically, from a simple feast dedicated to a martyr named Valentine to today, where it is estimated that 27.5 billion dollars will be spent on the holiday (National Retail Federation). Valentine’s Day is the one day of the year dedicated to romantic love, for couples to have an excuse to shower each other with gifts and let everyone around them know that they are not single. The dominance of social media in our society has teenagers practically glued to their phones on February 14th, tapping through stories of couples showing how happy they are together, making the holiday particularly daunting for those who are single
Self-love is crucial to the foundation of any healthy relationship, which is especially important for college students navigating new situations and interacting with new people. Getting caught up in the social media buzz, though common, takes away from what the holiday is truly about: love in any form. Self-love is arguably the most important form of love, as it builds on an individual’s ability to spread love to others. By implementing self-care practices into your daily routine, you not only set healthy boundaries for your relationships–both romantic and platonic–but you also will exude more confidence, which will attract people with the same level of trust and general love for themselves and others as you have now created for yourself.
As a society, we have become more heavily intertwined with social media, to the point where it is common for people to spend large amounts of time curating the perfect Instagram post and be enthralled by the action that it receives. This significantly impacts how we view ourselves, not only in the sense that we are monitoring how people interact with us online, but we are also encapsulated by what everyone else is doing all the time. It is especially easy around Valentine’s Day to compare yourself to others and wonder: why don’t I have a significant other to post for me and shower me with gifts? Self-care practices also play a huge role in preventing these thoughts. By caring for yourself and establishing your self-worth, you are also setting yourself up to be emotionally independent. Those who enter into relationships with low self-esteem often depend on their partner to validate them, similar to how we all use social media to validate ourselves. This is a perilous path to go down, further showing how vital self-care practices are and how healthy relationships are built upon good foundations on both sides.
My first piece of advice to those who are single on Valentine’s Day is to put down their phones. Social media platforms function as highlight reels–even though couples may be posting their perfect date or the beautiful bouquet of roses they receive, you have no idea what is happening behind the screen. An increasingly popular activity is to host a Galentines, which is a perfect option to celebrate the holiday still (without having to spend $200+ on a partner, which is what the average American spent in 2024). Rather than focusing on what you lack, celebrate who you are and invest in yourself. There are many ways to go about this; one that has gained a lot of popularity in the past few years is to host a Galentines, another great way to shift the focus of Valentine’s Day away from strictly romantic love. Self-care comes in many forms, and simply budgeting time in your day dedicated to yourself and what makes you happy is what will nurture the most important relationship in your life, the one within you.