1. Get a Valentine's Day reality check
Whether you’re married or single, nothing is harder than being in a bad relationship. Sure, all love connections hit rough patches, but many cross the line, becoming detrimental to love of self, and causing long-term damage and unhappiness. Of course, love relationships often work out, and Cupid’s arrow can hit even those who have been hurt before.
“Whether you’re waiting for your next chance at love, or are content to remain solo, the key to being happily single on Valentine’s Day is to realize that marriage is not the key to happiness,” says Rich Gosse, Chairman of The Society of Single Professionals and author of eight books on the single lifestyle.
“Most unhappy singles simply don’t get this obvious truth. Close to half of all marriages end in divorce, so they are obviously not happy. And millions of married couples stay together, not because they are happy, but for religious or financial reasons, or ‘for the kids’.
“Once singles understand these facts, it’s much easier to be happy alone on V-Day.”
Check out more advice on learning to love living alone.
2. Take off the trackie daks and dress up
“Life should be enjoyed and embraced, not spent sitting at home feeling alone,” says US-based life coach Dallisa Hocking, founder of Love FrogKisser. “So, I advise singles to make Valentine’s Day a celebration by turning it into an ‘I Love My Life’ Day.”
One way to do this is by getting dressed up, donning something that makes you feel special and confident. If you find it harder to hang out at home when you’re all gussied up, that’s basically the idea, but no worries. There’s plenty to do on V-Day for the I’m-single-and-loving-it set.
Check out these 35 highs and lows of living alone.
3. Get amongst it
Even the happily single can’t help but notice that the world is full of couples, but so what? On Valentine’s Day and every day, get out there like you own the world, and experience everything it has to offer.
Love the opera? Get a membership and go solo.
Into painting? There are tons of paint and sip workshops around, where you can happily join a crowd of wanna-be Picassos while enjoying a velvety glass of Merlot.
Explore your interests, and let them take you out into the world.
Anywhere you go, there are bound to be lots of other people worth meeting and getting to know.
If you feel like flirting, fine. If you feel like making a new friend, that’s fine, too.
We asked our readers what friendship meant to them – here are some of our favourite responses.