Amy BaumgartenIllustrations by Justin Remotap
February is here and you know what that means. It’s Valentine’s Day Month! Couples love it, single people dread it, and you and I are going to use it as a way to propel forward with self-love. This V-Day we are celebrating, caring for, and loving ourselves. I understand it can be hard to enjoy focusing on yourself when it feels like everyone around you has that special someone to share their day with. Fortunately, I have some good news for you. If finding that special someone is important to you, you will find them. Trust me on this. Maybe you haven’t met them yet or maybe they’re your best friend, but as of now it’s strictly friendship. I can’t say why, but I can say that it’s coming. You have a lot of life left to live, and a lot of love left to give!
Alright, I’ll cool it with the cheese. In exchange though, take a few minutes to consider spending this lovey-dovey day with yourself. Use your VDE (Valentine’s Day Energy) to recognize what a special person you are and spend the day doing things that make you happy! Here are some of my best ideas for a Valentine’s Day full of self-love.
Write a list of things you love about yourself
Before you roll your eyes, hear me out. Even if you do this activity fully believing that it’s silly and won’t make a difference, writing down your favorite parts of yourself is a surefire way to boost those feel-good vibes this Valentine’s Day. This list can include anything. Your long eyelashes? Your homemade banana bread recipe? Your impressive gift-giving ability? Maybe you love your nail beds! Or your talent for getting in and out of Kroger with a full week’s worth of groceries in under 15 minutes. It’s possible that you love your sense of humor, or your constant use of sarcasm. Maybe you’re the friend that is strong enough to push through the Midway crowds to order a round for everybody or hey, maybe you’re the friend who can always snatch the perfect table at Thompson. Whatever it may be, put it down on your list.
Send yourself flowers! Or chocolate! Or a stuffed monkey!
I personally don’t love getting flowers unless they come from that sPeCiAl SoMeOnE (yawn). Daisies don’t bring me the same joy that a Kit Kat does. So if I’m getting myself a Valentine’s Day gift, it is definitely going to be a Valentine’s Day Kit Kat. Who said someone else has to buy it for you? It’s 2020. Empowerment is about gift-giving to your DAMN SELF. Indulge in the capitalist holiday.
Catch up on sleep
Actually treat yourself and sleep in! Or take a midday nap. Maybe do both? As exhausted college students, this is an easy way to put yourself first and start feeling better. (Plus, you can sleep right through the Twitter and Instagram feeds halfway stacked with couples photos.)
Take a break from Instagram
I’m sure I don’t need to go into detail here, but take a few minutes to think about whether seeing your Instagram feed on Valentine’s Day is going to fill you with secondhand-love and sweetness, or if it’s gonna fill you with envy and sadness-that-you-don’t-want-to-admit-is-sadness. Valentine’s Day on Instagram is a whole ‘nother world, but this obviously isn’t a hard-and-fast rule. If seeing couple-y, lovey-dovey pictures will put a smile on your face, then get on and comment on all of your friend’s cute pics. If not, though, take the day off. I promise that no one will notice you’re gone, and you can get back once the kiss fest has died down.
Host a singles-only event
Want to celebrate the holiday with your other single friends? Sounds like a good plan to me. Dress to the nines and buy the fanciest drink at Lincoln Social for a Valentine’s GNO. Order a pizza from Adriatico’s and request that it’s shaped in a heart and then eat your heart out. Snatch some tix to the
movies – Downfall, the new dramedy with Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Will Ferrell, comes out on Valentine’s Day. Lucky you! Maybe your squad heads downtown to play some retro arcade games at 16-Bit. Do whatever you and yours usually like to do, but this time: only invite your single friends. No offense (total offense) to our friends with significant others, but we’re reclaiming Valentine’s Day.
Get away
Valentine’s Day is on a Friday this year, and that means you can get the hell out of Columbus and the hell out of your head! Revisit your hometown for the weekend, or discover a friend’s. Rent an AirBnB in a city close by with the gang and explore somewhere new. Did you know Columbus is less than a six hour drive away from Cleveland, Chicago, St. Louis, Indianapolis, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, AND Nashville?
There’s only six ideas here on how to get your self-love on this Valentine’s Day, but there are so many other ways to fill yourself with joy and comfort on February 14th. No matter what you do, make sure you take the time to recognize the amazing person you are. And eat some chocolate. Please. That’s all I ask.
