Why it’s Okay to Be Alone on Valentine’s Day

Spending Valentine’s Day alone?  It’s easy to feel like you’re the only person in the world not celebrating the holiday with someone special. Social media and society are guilty of making us feel like there’s something wrong with us when we’re not in a romantic relationship, especially on Valentine’s Day. Or any holiday for that matter.

Before I go any further, I want to say that there’s a BIG misconception that being alone means you’re lonely. Alone and lonely are two very different states.

Being alone means you’re content with solitude, you feel happy, and connected to others. Loneliness means you’re longing for company, feeling sad, and disconnected from others.

The thing that fascinates me the most is that you can be alone and not feel lonely and you can be surrounded by many people, yet still feel very lonely.

 Valentine’s Day doesn’t have to be about being alone or romantic love. Let me explain. As an expat, I’ve had the opportunity to experience many international holidays abroad. One of my favorites is Dia de Amor y Amistad, which translates into Day of Love and Friendship. I celebrated this holiday in Bogota, Colombia.

In Colombia Dia de Amor y Amistad is celebrated on the 3rd  Saturday of September. The holiday is the Colombian version of Valentine’s Day. But because Colombia didn’t celebrate any holidays in September, they decided to move Valentine’s Day from February to September. They also changed the name so that it celebrated friendship, too.

I love, love, love how they did this and I definitely believe the USA can learn from Colombia in this respect.

Valentine’s Day can be about self-love, love for family members, love for friends, and even love for our pets. Over the years, I’ve spent many seasons being single and I’ve had many Valentine’s Days when I wasn’t in a romantic relationship.

If you’re spending this Valentine’s Day alone, here 10 ways to celebrate:

1.     Meet a friend for dinner (Because of COVID, you might have to have dinner via Zoom)

2.     Book a massage for you…yes, you!

3.     Send a card to a family member telling them you love them.

4.     Buy yourself some flowers.

5.     Watch a romantic comedy with a friend.

6.     Plan a self-care night in. Put on a face mask, take a bath, light a candle...

7.     Reach out to a friend. You never know who might be feeling lonely on this holiday.

8.     Make a list of things you love about you.

9.     Do a random act of kindness for a stranger.

10.   Play tourist and explore a new spot in your neighborhood.

It doesn’t matter whether you’re spending this Valentine’s Day alone out of choice or because it’s something beyond your control, it isn’t the end of the world. Although you might feel like you’re the only one without a partner, there are many other people just like you. Instead of focusing on being alone, work on being happy with what you have and where you are in life right now.

If you’re struggling with feelings of loneliness or you’re finding it difficult to love yourself, it’s important to know that’s perfectly normal. While you might think these feelings will last forever, they won’t. If you want to move on and start feeling happy on your own, sign up for a free consultation call with me.

We’ll dive into the reasons behind your unhappiness and set you off on the path towards true self-love. Before you know it, you’ll have zero problems looking at yourself in the mirror and naming all the wonderful things you love about yourself.