Valentine’s Day is here and with it comes all the conversations of who one might be spending it with. 

You may get asked if you have a possible date planned with a special someone, or perhaps you hoped by the time this day came up you would have someone to spend it with. But who said that in order for it to be a successful Valentine’s Day you had to spend it with a significant other? 

Sure, the whole concept of Valentine’s Day revolves around the idea that people receive romantic gestures left and right from a special someone in their life. Flowers, chocolates and teddy bears large and small are shoved in our faces telling us that we need someone to gift these to or receive these from someone else.

Overall the idea of Valentine’s Day is about love, usually in the regards of receiving it from someone else. But let’s talk about the love we should give ourselves that is just as, if not more, important.

We shouldn’t need all these gestures on Valentine’s Day — although nice and appreciated — to remind us that we are loved. Love begins with ourselves.

Valentine’s Day shouldn’t revolve around the idea that being in love with someone else is the only way you can participate in the celebration. Celebrate the love you have for yourself in the way that you get through the hurdles in life and how although life may knock you down sometimes, you manage to get back up with a positively evolved mindset and some lessons learned.

You don’t need to be in a relationship in order to enjoy Valentine’s Day. Just like any other self-care day, dedicate this day to reminding yourself how grateful you are for the things you have accomplished on your own. Remind yourself of all the things —  big or little —  that have helped you reach where you are today. Make this an extra special day for yourself.

For this lovely day, treat yourself the way you would want a future significant other to treat you. Make yourself breakfast in bed, write yourself an appreciative love letter that you want your future self to open when you are feeling down or pick out a snack at the store that you’ve always wanted to try.

Romanticize loving yourself, because it’s easy to forget that while we are in all these different kinds of relationships with others, we are also in a relationship with ourselves, and that relationship deserves the exact same kind of care and love that the others do.