How to recover from a single Valentine’s Day

Design by Savanah DeBrosse.
Design by Savanah DeBrosse.

If you found yourself wallowing in your own singlehood this Valentine’s Day, you’re not alone. I’d like to believe that there are just as many single people as there are happy couples out there. Instead of letting all the PDA make me nauseous, these are the pro-tips I wish I‘d tried:

Be bold. Profess your love for the guy or girl you’ve been crushing on for months. You only need 10 seconds of crazy courage. Send them a text and ask them out. You have nothing to lose (other than your dignity, but that’s overrated anyways). You might as well make use of the love in the air (and be a little ballsy, too).

Love yourself. Practicing self-love is essential to your well-being. Make sure you’re being nice to yourself always, but especially this week. Don’t be overly critical, and don’t think anything is wrong with you if you didn’t have a hot date. Whoever said you couldn’t be your own Valentine anyways?

Wait until after Valentine’s Day to buy all the chocolate your heart desires. This way, it’ll be on sale. Treating yourself while balling on a budget? That’s what I call victory.

Remember that it’s not all about romantic love. Remind your family and friends how much you love them. Grab dinner with a close friend instead of despairing over your lack of a date. Time spent with friends is much better than time spent being bitter.

Be happy, not jealous. Don’t envy your friends who are in a relationship. Instead, congratulate them and have faith that you will find love one day.

In closing, know that just because you may not have had a significant other to celebrate this Valentine’s Day with does not reflect your worth or value as a person. There’s nothing wrong with being single, even on Valentine’s Day. Don’t buy into the pressure society (and Hallmark) places on us this time every year. Surround yourself with friends and loved ones if you need to be reminded of how much you’re loved and follow the tips above to celebrate this (and every) Valentine’s Day as a strong, independent person.

Dana McGeehan is a junior majoring in history and media management.