How Introverts Can Celebrate Valentine’s Day Being single on Valentine’s Day can be difficult for many people. Seeing people flirting with each other, pampering each other with gifts, holding hands, hugging and kissing can be extremely painful for most people. We are naturally social creatures and thrive in social environments. Many introverts feel a lack of love, care, and nurturing in their lives. These feelings can become more intense on days like Valentine’s Day. To look after one’s physical and mental health, it is important for people to use strategies and coping mechanisms designed to help people cope with loneliness. Instead of living in fear of Valentine’s Day and wallowing in loneliness, there are things introverts can do to excel on the day. Here are some tips from psychotherapist, Dr. Vihan Sanyal, to make Valentine’s Day enjoyable: Celebrate the day of love- Valentine’s Day is a celebration of love and not spending specifically for romantic love. Make the most of this day by being an ambassador of love. Meet or call your family members and friends and tell them you love them. Do something nice for yourself and for the people you love. Focus on loving yourself – Start your day by telling yourself that you love yourself. Many people are constantly looking for love outside of themselves without focusing on loving themselves. If you don’t love and respect yourself, how can you expect others to love you? Be grateful for all you have and be proud. Love yourself! Be grateful for your appearance, body, health, intelligence, personality and achievements. Be happy with who you are. We are all a work in progress and have certain flaws, but this does not stop us from loving ourselves for our uniqueness. We don’t have a copy of ourselves and that’s worth celebrating. Invite other single friends over – Your other single friends may feel lonely on Valentine’s Day and it might be a good idea to get together and celebrate your friendship . Invite them to your house or hang out as a group and celebrate the day together. Planning and socializing are difficult for introverts, however, pushing yourself a little and making such plans will help you come out of your shell. Avoid overusing social media – If you feel lonely, especially on Valentine’s Day, stay away from it. It would be a bad idea to spend time on social media to cope with your loneliness. Looking at photos of exes and other people posting photos on Facebook or Instagram with their partners will only arouse feelings of depression in a person. Please do not use social media to satisfy your curiosity about “who is doing what”, it can only make you feel worse. Accept loneliness – Accept your feelings instead of avoiding them. Admit the fact that you are feeling lonely. You may feel that way today, but that’s no guarantee that you’ll likely feel that way for the rest of your life. To cope with loneliness, it is important for introverts to make an effort to connect with people and strengthen their relationships with friends and associates. This will give them the opportunity to form new friendships and could lead to an intimate relationship. Make a plan – Plan before Valentine’s Day how you will spend the day. If you might be feeling lonely on this day, it’s probably not a good idea to spend time alone in your room or at home. Book a vacation for yourself, book a table at a fancy restaurant and take yourself out to dinner, buy something nice for yourself, book a massage, see a movie or a play. Do lots of things to stay busy. Make it a special and memorable day. Express your feelings – Try recording your thoughts and feelings. Be brutally honest and pour your feelings of loneliness into the document. It is extremely important for your mental and physical health that you do not keep your thoughts and feelings of loneliness inside you. Most people feel lighter after releasing their thoughts and emotions. Make an appointment to see a mental health professional and discuss your feelings openly. Talking to a therapist could be the best gift you can give yourself on Valentine’s Day. You can also gift a session to a family member or friend who may also be lonely and suffering. Treat it like a normal day – Some people find it easier to cope with the day by treating it like any other day. They don’t do anything special on Valentine’s Day and don’t feel the need to celebrate the day. Some see it as nothing more than a marketing gimmick designed to increase merchandise sales and boost restaurant business. It’s important to address the emotions related to that day. If you’re the type of person who can get through a day without it affecting your mood and emotions, then so be it. You understand yourself better and do what’s best for you.
