I am a Valentine’s Day Grinch

Yes, you read that correctly.

My name is Colleen and I feel strongly about my dislike for Valentine’s day. It has nothing to do with getting my very first speeding ticket ever on February 14, 2001, trying to beat the rest of the school to Taco Bell for lunch while rocking out to Pink with my BFF at the time in my kick-ass ‘65 Mustang. Ok enough for nostalgia road… I haven’t liked Valentine’s Day since middle school when I discovered it’s not about getting 30+ generic mass-produced cards from your classmates and chocolate. As a kid, it seemed to be this day where you spread love to everyone but as soon as you hit middle school it becomes obvious that it’s one day out of the year where you are mandated to buy something for your crush and/or significant other. And if you don’t have one, then where do you fit in? 

Many of us were shamed (publicly, internally, or both) if we didn’t have someone to share the day with. I don’t feel like any holiday should make people feel uncomfortable, regardless of who you are, so I strongly disagree with Valentine’s Day and it is not celebrated in my house. Took my husband a few years to figure out that me telling him not to get me something was in fact not a trap. 

So regardless of whether or not you have a significant other to spend this “holiday” with, I think it’s a good idea to talk about how we can take care of ourselves on this day. Turn V-Day into U-Day by practicing self-care.

Here are some ideas to get you going: 

Start off your morning right, wake up earlier than normal and go for a workout or at least do some stretching and/or meditation, or allow yourself time to go out to breakfast or swing by the local coffee shop to grab a fresh pastry and delicious coffee as a gift to yourself for being awesome. Practice mindfulness while enjoying your treats. Take time to make sure you’re focusing on the treats themselves, not being distracted by whatever else is going on around you. Slow down as you eat it, notice the texture, smell, taste, any thoughts or sensations you have about the pastry. Does it bring up happy memories or feelings?

When you get to where you’re going, maybe it’s work. Take time to make a plan for the day that allows breaks to go for a quick walk, check-in with yourself, take a moment to breathe, or run to get a snack with a friend/co-worker. Treat yourself and your friend/co-worker as if they were your Valentines, maybe pay it forward? Who knows what this day means to them… be kind! 

Go to lunch, maybe go to that place everyone has been talking about and you have been dying to try. Maybe get a group of people together. Laugh and relax away from work. Enjoy that yummy food, spring for dessert, go crazy! Take care of yourself! 

Maybe stop and get yourself a nice dinner on the way home or what the heck, buy yourself flowers, chocolate, or some other gift. Be your own Valentine, whether you’re attached or not, why wait for someone else to notice how amazing you are? Get yourself a card, just do something nice. Better yet, wait until the next day, my favorite day: Half Price Chocolate Day!

Or maybe treat yourself to a massage, mani-pedi, or some other type of spa day. Go to the gym or do yoga. Just do something that makes you feel good, helps increase your love for yourself, and helps you recharge and forget all your cares and worries. 

Plan a night out with your friends, who says that just because you’re not attached (or maybe you are? I have dinner plans with my tribe and my husband offered to cover his co-workers shift that night) doesn’t mean you don’t deserve to go out. Go have a nice dinner, go to a fun event, try something new or grab a drink at the local watering hole. 

Love yourself and treat yourself. Regardless of your relationship status, you deserve to be loved and pampered. Why do we have to rely on someone else to do this for us? And most importantly why is it only one day? If we are in relationships why not do something nice for our significant other every other day of the year? If you’re only doing something last minute because you’re obligated to on Valentines, that’s not usually a good sign about the health of your relationship. Do something nice for your significant other on a regular basis, I promise this will mean more to them than a Valentine’s Day gift. And why only treat yourself this one day? Make sure you’re practicing “micro” self-care tasks daily, weekly, and monthly. Lastly, do nice things for your friends, family, co-workers, and random people occasionally, pay it forward. Make someone’s day. 

Oh and again don’t forget, chocolate is 50% off Feb 15. Happy Half-Price Chocolate Day! 

If you’d like to learn more about self-care/self-love tips please contact me at Colleen@scatteredpotential.com, subscribe to my blog or my newsletter by filling out the form below. Follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.