Valentine’s Day can be a depressing time of year for both those who are recently single and those who have been on their own for a long time. But that needn’t be the case. There are many things one can do to combat the Valentine’s Day blues.
- Making plans with friends helps. There are other forms of love besides romantic love, and being with good friends on Valentine’s Day can remind one of how important other types of relationships are. Choosing something fun to do with single friends whether that’s going out to dinner together, seeing a movie, hiking or whatever else everyone enjoys is a great way to remind oneself of the great relationships one does have.
- Exercise lifts depression. Being solo on the big day can definitely bring on a case of Valentine’s Day blues. Physical activity has been shown to be as effective as medication in combating mild to moderate depression, and even taking a walk can help raise one’s spirits.
- Helping the less fortunate takes one’s minds off one’s own problems. Remembering that for some people, Valentine’s Day is not a time to worry about relationships but just another day to try to get food and shelter can put one’s own concerns into perspective. Volunteering to work with the homeless or perhaps in a hospital with people who are ill can remind one that while there is nothing wrong with feeling bad about being single when one wants a relationship, one has other things to be thankful for.
- Laughter really is the best medicine. Sometimes, it feels like all of one’s friends are partnered up, exercise is not possible due to weather or physical limitations and there simply isn’t time to make volunteering arrangements. Funny books, movies or television shows can be the answer here.
The most important thing for someone struggling with the Valentine’s Day blues to remember is that being in a relationship is not a measure of a person’s worth. Plenty of unpleasant and unhappy people are in relationships, and plenty of wonderful people are not.
A bad relationship can feel lonelier than no relationship at all. With these points in mind underlying the suggested strategies above, anyone can look forward to beating a case of the Valentine’s Day blues.
