Valentine’s Day is right around the corner! What a nice, romantic holiday for all the people out there in relationships, right? Not Necessarily. There are so many ways to enjoy yourself and the people around you this Valentine’s season. Whether that means decorating your space, treating yourself, finding new hobbies or spending time with your girls, the possibilities are endless. Here are a few ways to keep yourself busy or to relax during this Valentine’s Season!Â
Starting off, as a freshly single girl, I’ve had to make sure I’m taking care of myself before anyone else right now. That can look like a lot of things: self-care, solo dates, doing my makeup, keeping my space clean and organized, reaching out to loved ones, etc. I believe self-care should be one of your top priorities coming out of a relationship. Not only are break-ups emotionally taxing, but they can leave you feeling physically drained as well. Here are some ways to pamper yourself during this Valentine’s season as a single girl.
1. Solo Food Dates
You don’t need a partner to take you on a date when you can take yourself on one. I think it’s time for us to romanticize going out for lunch and dinner dates by ourselves. I love solo food dates, even when I was in a relationship. Whether you put on a cute or comfy outfit, do your makeup or choose to go natural, hair done or undone; taking time out of your day to appreciate your wants and needs is important. Oftentimes, food is the way to a girl’s heart, so take care of your own heart! Our society is really focused on only eating food that is “good” for you, and while I understand that eating healthy is important and a form of self-care, letting yourself enjoy ALL the foods that you love is equally as important. If I want to dress up and go eat buttered rolls at Texas Roadhouse with a crisp Dr. Pepper, best believe I’m going to!Â
2. Hygiene
Another way to take care of yourself this next month, and every month for that matter, is taking time to pamper yourself. There are a million ways to treat yourself, but here are a couple of ways I think everyone could benefit. One of my favorites is an “everything shower”. If you don’t know what that is, it basically means doing all of your shower steps in one shower, head-to-toe. For example, washing and conditioning your hair, or perhaps using your favorite hair mask, exfoliating and shaving, using body oils after washing your entire body and more. You can light a candle and play your favorite songs during this time! The feeling after an everything shower is like no other. I feel so refreshed, clean, and depending on the time, ready to either take on the day or jump into bed. Typically, after an everything shower, I would do an in-depth skincare routine; that can mean washing your face, exfoliating, applying a face mask, using soothing toners and serums and keeping your skin hydrated with moisturizer. This will give you the most luminesce glow! Â
3. Hobbies Â
When you’re single, you tend to have more free time than your friends that are in relationships. You could sit and scroll on your phone to pass the time, which I have the bad habit of doing or you could find a new hobby! One thing I’m trying to get more into is reading, “The Love Hypothesis” by Ali Hazelwood is the book I’m currently rereading. When you’re in a book slump, I find it helpful to reread a book you enjoyed years ago. That way you don’t remember all the details, but because you remember the overall gist of the book, it feels like a less daunting task. Other hobbies to start could be knitting or crocheting, which I’ve always wanted to try, jewelry making, scrapbooking, journaling, cooking/learning a new recipe, etc. You could take time to create Valentine’s crafts to decorate your apartment/dorm or make cute cards for your besties! Something I think would be really cute is to host a Galentine’s with your girl friends and have a “pizza and paint” night!Â
4. Galentine’sÂ
This brings me to my fourth and final way to enjoy Valentine’s Day this year single… Galentine’s! Focusing on yourself and filling your own cup is important, but don’t forget to spend time with the girls who are some of your biggest supporters and manage to make your life brighter just by being in it. Fun fact, the term “Galentine’s” was first used in a 2010 Parks and Recreation episode. What started as a concept from a TV show has now become a widely used term by girls all over the world. Female friendships are some of the closest and most fulfilling relationships you can have. Galentine’s is a celebration of those intimate relationships, and a day meant to shed light on the importance of having them. This time could be spent going out to dinner or going out on the town. You could take the stay-at-home approach and eat takeout while watching a classic rom-com. Like I said in the previous section, you could have a “pizza and paint” night where you paint portraits of each other or follow a Bob Ross tutorial. The possibilities are truly endless!