How to Celebrate Valentine's Day Single

Valentine's Day can be a tough time to be single. Everywhere you look there seem to be messages prompting you to pair up. Online ads, store circulars, radio promotions, and television shows all revolve around the great coupling day. This constant bombardment can put a lot of pressure on a single person and make them feel like they are doing something wrong. Rest assured that this isn't the case. You aren't obligated to be in a relationship and now is not the time to rush into something just to bow to commercial pressure.

You don't need to have found "the one" to have a good time on Valentine's Day. Set a date with your friends, particularly single ones. They may appreciate having the company just as much as you do. If you're interested, you could check out the local pub to see if Valentine's Day left any promising potential lovers unhitched. Or, you might want to escape the concept of romance altogether and go on a road trip. Seeing or doing something amazing doesn't require red roses or diamond rings.

Not feeling very social? There's nothing wrong with having a Netflix and chill night alone. You can choose to watch your favorite TV series or movie and enjoy without any interruptions. You'll avoid the Valentine's Day hangover this way by waking up the next morning with your wallet still intact. Those couples out there skipping around the town square and throwing rose petals won't be so lucky.

If you are feeling a bit social and are open to meeting people, treat yourself to the cinema. You never know who you might meet standing in line or who might take the seat next to you. Stranger things have certainly happened. What if you end up with the cinema to yourself? Well, that has its benefits too. "Hey! Down in front."

If you find the current incarnation of Valentine's Day repulsive, imagine celebrating the holiday in its former pagan or ancient Roman form. In the tradition of Lupercalia and the Februa—purification—men drew the names of young women from a jar. The women were then paired with the men holding their name and they would be together to the fullest extent for the duration of the festival.

Tales of pagan and Roman celebration also include priests anointing themselves with blood and whipping onlookers to stimulate fertility. And don't forget the animal sacrifices. No good Lupercalia ends without a dog and goat making their way to the gods.

Lupercalia doesn't sound like your thing, you say? Well, perhaps all this chocolate hawking and glitter isn't so bad after all. The phrase "everything is relative" may be a cliche, but it seems a fine fit for Valentine's Day.

Don't beat yourself up for not having a relationship. Even if you'd really like to have a significant other to spend Valentine's with, it's OK that it didn't work out that way this year. There are plenty of people out there—myself included—that found their special person after spending a Valentine's Day or two alone. It's one day. It may not be your favorite, but it certainly doesn't have to be the end of the world.

Treating yourself to a nice dinner and indulging in a desert is fine but don't punish yourself by gorging on junk food or drinking yourself into oblivion. By staying healthy and getting some exercise, you'll improve your outlook on Valentine's Day and the days that follow.

Don't reach out to toxic exes. This may seem like an easy go-to, especially if you know your ex is also single during Valentine's Day. Trust me that this is a bad idea. If you weren't reaching for the phone the week or day before Valentine's, you shouldn't be reaching for it now. Put the phone down and back away slowly.

You are great single and don't need to define yourself by your attachment to another human being. Celebrate all the things that make you unique. If you decide to share those things with a lucky person out there someday, that could be great too. Today might not be that day, nor does it have to be. Take the pressure off of yourself, take care of your physical and mental health, and enjoy Valentine's Day as an independent!