Tips for Being Single on Valentine's Day

rhymenocerous16 not only has the greatest username EVER, she's also got some pretty solid advice for coping with single-hood on February 14th.—Sparkitors

As someone who has never had a Valentine’s date, I figured I'd be the perfect candidate for offering advice on how to handle this garishly colored, sickeningly sweet celebration of “love”—all by your lonesome.

1. Instead of watching a series of romantic movies and crying until your tear ducts fall out, watch an action movie or a comedy. Chuckling whenever Vin Diesel tries to make a serious face is a lot more fun than watching two poor saps fall in love, and it will help you avoid being sucked into a downward spiral of depression.

2. The same rule goes for music and books. Listening to a slew of Taylor Swift songs whilst half-sobbing, half-singing, and reading romance novels a la Nicholas Sparks may seem like a good idea, but it is not. It is an idiotic idea. Remember: you have dignity. Try to keep it intact.

3. To avoid eating an entire tub of Ben & Jerry’s and/or a box of Godiva truffles (and becoming a total cliché), try making something fun, like a homemade pizza or fancy mac 'n'cheese. You'll feel proud after devouring your culinary masterpiece, and you won't crash later from tons of processed sugar.

4. As the general population is obsessed with documenting their lives on the Internet, it's probably a good idea to stay away from sites like Facebook on V-Day—unless you want to end up bitterly commenting “You said the same thing about Mark last year, and look where you both are now,” or “You will just become another teen pregnancy statistic” on Sarah’s status about "how lucky she is to be in love <3333.”

5. Another seemingly obvious yet often neglected bit of advice is to spend some time outside, or in places other than your cold, desolate room, where thoughts of loneliness hang over you like small gray clouds. So go on a walk or a bike ride, check out a (non-romantic) book at the public library, or shovel your sidewalk while singing "One Is the Loneliest Number" at the top of your lungs. Just get out there and do something.

6. Hang out with some of your single friends. Rather than talking about your romantic status or all your unrequited crushes, just ignore the fact that it's Valentine's Day altogether. Throw a dance party, play some video games, host a ping pong competition, or have a taco-eating contest. Avoiding typical date locations, i.e. the movies or restaurants, is a good idea, but as long as you have friends there to protect you from the combination of resentment and sadness that may rise in your throat upon seeing happy couples, you'll be fine.

How are you gonna deal with Valentine's Day?

Related post: 5 Reasons Why Being Single Rocks