When Valentine’s Day is Hard
Sometimes Valentine’s Day isn’t all love, hearts, chocolate and flowers. Sometimes it is hard. Whether you’re single and desire a relationship, in a relationship that seems a bit rocky right now, you’ve lost a loved one or gotten divorced/broken up recently it can feel like everyone around you is head over heels in love and you feel alone. Maybe you need to take a break from scrolling the Instagram feed today and show yourself and those closest to you some love today.
If you’re dreading this holiday because you are single or recently left a relationship; just walking through the grocery store can be a challenge that reminds you of your relationship status. Instead of focusing on what you feel that you lack, try to shift the focus to gratitude for all the love you do have in your life. Buy yourself a bag of your go-to candy, order dinner from your favorite restaurant, go out with your friends, have a spa day, write notes to your closest loved ones and maybe even celebrate Galentine’s Day (thank you Leslie Knope!).
If you are in relationship that is struggling, you’re not alone. You don’t have to fake the perfect relationship to meet the ideas of what this day entails. Stop comparing yourselves to other relationships and scrolling through the posts because more often than not what you see is far from reality. Focus on spending some quality time with your partner, do something new together, communicate your needs and let go of those expectations of what Valentine’s Day is “supposed” to look like.
After losing your partner, the first Valentine’s Day can be extremely challenging and emotionally exhausting. It is okay to allow yourself time to grieve. Be sure to surround yourself with people you love who can be there to support you. You can pay tribute to the one you’ve lost such as writing them a letter, going to your favorite spot and finding a way to honor that person.
Lastly, seek out Counseling! Spend that Valentine’s money to invest in yourself and the future health of your relationships.