Singles, it is time to hunker down and buckle up because Valentine’s Day is fast-approaching. This means Single’s Awareness Day or S.A.D. is also around the corner. But do not panic. Your survival guide to all things Valentine is right here.
Around this time, a mix of decorations, social media posts and the occasional nag from your grandmother pull at your heart and remind what you are missing in your love life.
This can cause a lot of stress and unhappiness for the single person just trying to make it through the holiday and reach the discount chocolates that await them on the other side.
“People who are not in a relationship, there is some pressure on them because there’s a kind of cultural-societal expectation, implied by Valentine’s Day, that you should be in a relationship,” Norman Goodman, Ph.D., a sociology professor, explained.
This pressure can really start to bring you down but here are some suggestions to help you push back and pull through.
Dare yourself to be bold.
“Step one, try not to be single on Valentine’s Day. Step two, repeat step one,” Jason Loprete, a freshman mechanical engineering and applied mathematics and statistics major, instructed.
If what you want is to have a Valentine of your very own just go out and find one. It may be time to find an excuse to talk to that crush you have been eyeing in class.
There is no crush? No problem. The world is full of great people that you just do not know yet. It only takes a two seconds of courage to find this year’s Valentine. If that does go over well, move on to the next. You have nothing to lose because you are already single.
Get together with loved ones.
Valentine’s Day does not have to be all about finding a significant other. There are other significant people around you that you can spend the day with.
Have a game night with single friends and family.
Make up your own Valentine’s Day games and see who can get the most creative.
If you want to play Cupid for a day, have a party and instruct every single friend to bring another single. Cupid pairs guests for a night of awkward fun (arrows are not suggested).
Focus on you.
Food, candy, Netflix and your favorite pajamas are all the ingredients for the perfect date with…yourself. After all, who else could pick out all of your favorite things?
With people worrying about what color roses to buy and whether or not their significant other is allergic to nuts, you will have the perfect opportunity to be with the person who knows you best.
Be sure to stay positive.
While this holiday may not be your favorite, it is important to keep in mind that it is only one day out of the year.
Do not torture yourself with the endless news feeds on social media. The last thing any single person wants to see on Valentine’s Day is an Instagram post with the biggest candle-lit teddy bear ever created holding a bouquet of roses.
“It’s the social media that annoys me. People go to the extreme and post about Valentine’s Day every five seconds,” Danny Smith, a sophomore linguistics major, said.
