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Surviving V-Day if you’re Single

Who’s single and ready to mingle? Lose the long faces, you lone rangers — and check out our to-do list below. This party admits one

Ten years on since it first began and it’s an even greater pain to sign in to Facebook on this day. Because even though everyone is using it to gush on about the love of their life, you’re nowhere close to jumping on the ‘committed’ bandwagon, and it’s almost like the entire virtual community is armed to the teeth — with lovey-dovey pictures, videos and mushy statuses galore — in its cruel conspiracy against you. But Valentine’s Day doesn’t have to be a day spent moping around, hoping Lady Love will cast her fair eye on you. Read on for our single’s guide to the dreaded V-Day!

1. Hit the spa — and we’re not talking only to the ladies here. Guys can put their overly macho side, well, aside and head for the nearest wellness centre too. A massage, scrub, mani-pedi or shave later will leave you feeling so well-taken care of, you’ll want to answer the next pitying gaze with a resounding, “Who cares?”. Not you, that’s for sure.

2. Party it up — Get your single friends together and throw a bash that restricts permission to anyone looking to slip in with a plus one. Alternatively, you could get together and go paint the town red. Misery loves company but you could make this a case of dancing your worries away.

3. Go on a movie marathon — Start with The Break Up (Jennifer Aniston) and go all the way, ending with Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind (Jim Carrey). There are enough movies out there with plot lines miserable enough to put you in a distinctly unromantic mood — and maybe even make you feel better about not being with ‘someone’ right now. Unless you prefer making yourself miserable, in which case we’d recommend The Notebook. And a box of tissues.

4. Indulge — Shopping or chocolate, it doesn’t matter. Both release the feel-good endorphins you could use today and are about as therapeutic as a session with the shrink — only quicker and far more cost-effective. They may not fix the problem, but they sure will put you in a better mood for when you actually have to deal with it. And chocolate never disappoints. Especially the decadent double chocolate fudge fondue type...

5. Volunteer — Very few things are as effective a mood enhancer as putting a smile on someone else’s face. Look up local outfits that welcome volunteers — say, special needs centres, hospitals or local pet pounds — and make their day. There’s no gift better than giving of yourself. You’d make someone’s day — and walk away feeling oh-so-good.

6. Just relax — V-Day this year happens to be a Friday. What better way to diss the day than by doing nothing at all, staying indoors, putting up your feet or curling up with a good book? It’s the ultimate expression of anti-Valentine-ness. If nothing else, you’ll at least avoid having to see soppy couples and consumerist promotions all over the place.

7. Create an anti-Valentine playlist — If you’re not interested in keeping love ‘in the air’, set the tone by creating your very own iPod playlist in defiance of the day and all it stands for. Be your own RJ, mix in a bunch of ‘single and strong’ numbers — like Independent Woman by Destiny’s Child or One-Man Show by the Jonas Brothers — and you won’t even need to turn the radio on. For once.

8. Spend time with a loved one — Valentine’s doesn’t have to be about romantic love. Taking time out to be with your parents, siblings or friends can give you a huge boost. Visit a loved one. Buy your mum some flowers. Take your friend out to dinner. The happiness you inspire is bound to bubble up inside of you too. It’s a karmic thing. So go on. Spread some love. It is that day.