ASK JANE: Valentine’s Day ideas for Singles Hint: Chocolate Binges and Pity Fests are not on the List!
Being single doesn’t mean that you need to find Valentine’s Day a depressing occasion. You can still treat yourself and feel good about your single life. Here is a range of ideas for doing things to participate “in the spirit” while keeping up your spirit; or, you can simply treat it like any other day!
1. Indulge in yourself. Since Valentine’s Day is all about love, spending the day loving yourself makes perfect sense. Play hooky from work (or just leave an hour early) and do whatever you want, be it pampering yourself with a massage or staying home, ordering take out and marathoning every movie your celeb crush has ever been in. After all, you have no one to please but your own darn self.
2. Go after what you want. If indulging seems a little too…indulgent, go the opposite direction and use the day to finish (or start) something you’ve been meaning to tackle. Secure that promotion you’ve been after at work; go spend some money on yourself doing something you’ve always wanted to do.
3. Find something new to love. Interested in taking up yoga? Want to learn how to be a sommelier? Wish you could cook risotto? Challenge yourself to do something you haven’t done before, or seldom get to do because of your schedule.
4. Send love someone else’s way. Studies show that kindness spreads, so start an epidemic. Give Valentine’s Day cards to those close to you, like your co-workers and friends, as well as those not so close to you, like the barista who serves you your coffee. Not the Hallmark type? Volunteer locally and help those less fortunate than you. Seeing a face light up from your small gesture will fill you with love and make the world a better place. (I’m serious)
5. Use Valentine’s Day as an “actively seek a partner day”. Many places put on singles evenings so get your girlfriends or male friends together and head for a singles party. Who knows who you might meet?