Roses and chocolates and teddy bears, oh my! It’s that time of year again. For those happily in a relationship, these may be symbols of love and appreciation, and may even be purchased to give to a significant other. However, for the single, they may just be painful reminders of how alone they are. Valentine’s Day can be a discouraging holiday for the single people out there, but it doesn’t have to be. Here are six tips and practices you can implement in order to survive this Valentine’s Day single.

Spend time off of social media.

Social media is a place where people often broadcast the highlight reel of their lives to the whole world, and Valentine’s Day is often the day when everyone is showing off their significant other. For the single (and even for those in a relationship), it can be so easy to start comparing, and, by comparing, feel discouraged. Stop the doom scroll this “V Day”, and instead…

Invest your time and energy into something else.

Take a walk, read a book (maybe something besides a romance novel), clean your room, pick up a new hobby, or learn a new skill. There are better ways to fill your time this holiday rather than doom scrolling on Instagram, watching a rom-com, or crying over a bucket of ice cream (no shame, I’ve been there).

Practice gratitude.

This may arguably be the most important one. This Valentine’s Day, choose to focus on all the amazing things you DO have instead of what you DON’T. Take out a piece of paper and make a list of all the things you’re grateful for. I challenge you to write down at least 5 things and feel your brain chemistry shift! It may seem simple, but it seriously does wonders. (Read this source on the many benefits gratitude has on your brain and your life! positivepsychology.com)

Romanticize the *crap* out of your life.

Don’t think you have to sit inside all day and feel miserable. For 41% of people worldwide, February 14th is just another day (driveresearch.com). So, do something that makes you happy! If you like to paint, for example, go buy some new paints and a new canvas, find a nice spot to sit down and practice your art. Or, if you’re feeling bold, take yourself on a date: go to dinner alone, buy yourself flowers or coffee. Any everyday task can seem like a big deal if you make it one.

Choose to celebrate your friends.

This point is probably the most challenging. When you see someone else gets what you want or what you think you should get, it might feel IMPOSSIBLE to practice this point. My best friend got married a month ago, so I totally get it. It can be easy when we feel stuck or discouraged to focus on ourselves, and we can quickly fall into a victim mindset. It’s important to shift your focus outside yourself once in a while. So, choose to celebrate your friends and love on the people in your life. There is more joy to be found there.

Remember that everyone is on a different path.

I feel so strongly about this one: culture tries to sell us this lie that either you’re behind or you’ve failed if you’re not dating seriously in college/married by 25. Hear me when I say being in a relationship does not mean you’ve “won”, and being single does not mean you’ve “lost”. Some of us won’t be dating anyone seriously in college, and others might not be married by 25. THAT’S OK. Just because the timeline of your story doesn’t look the same as the person next to you doesn’t mean it’s less valuable. How boring would it be if everyone’s life story was the exact same?

There are a lot of blessings to be discovered in singleness and, y’all, I promise you will survive. Try implementing these practices into your life this Valentine’s Day, and see what happens! Leave a comment on this article if you tried these practices and let me know how it went for you!