The winter holidays have come and gone, just like many of our New Year’s resolutions. Here we are knee deep in February! Have you made any plans this month just for you? Many couples are gearing up for dinners out or romantic nights in. But being single on Valentine’s day isn’t always a terrible thing. With a little creativity and strong community, it can be a day of fun and new adventures. Instead of rushing into online dating, spend time taking care of yourself.
As someone who has been married for 15 years, I’ll be honest. I love my husband (and he loves me!) but we both agree each year to forego flowers or a sitter for Valentine’s Day. Instead, we save that valuable money for kids’ activities and grocery bills.
However, many of my single friends have some pretty fun plans for this month! Instead of fretting the fact that they aren’t in relationships, they fill their calendars with much more interesting events than I’ve seen on my schedule in a long time!
February is what you make it. If you want to enjoy it as a month of hope, a gateway to the spring and new beginnings, here are a few ideas to jump out of the winter blues and into a time of caring for yourself and the wonderful human you are.
Clear your calendar and put your current Netflix binge session on hold. Instead, delve into these dates that every Catholic single should take themselves on in February.
1. Unwind with a day at the spa
Whether you’re a guy or gal, there is something for everything at the spa. This date is not to be wasted on a simple pedicure or 30 minute massage. Use it as a time to truly treat yourself to the whole experience.
Book at least two services and plan enough time to fully take advantages of amenities offered. Choose a spa that has access to a steam room and or Jacuzzi. Truly enter into the world of relaxation the minute you walk through the doors.
While you sip on cucumber water and detoxify your skin, let your worries about the past and stress about the future fade away. Don’t stress about what your relationship status or online dating profile. Instead, use this experience to give your emotional self a boost as well as the physical you.
2. Plan a date with Jesus
Sure you go to Mass and adoration already. But this month, step out of the box for this date and do something special.
Bookmark some of your favorite verses about love in the Bible and take a stroll with Jesus through the Stations of the Cross. Meditate and talk to him about the amount of love poured out through his sacrifice for you. Take your concerns about your relationship status to him. Surrender everything (even things like online dating!) over to his care.
Wrap up the walk with some time spent in his true presence. Flip through your favorite Scripture and think of the ways that you can reciprocate that love through your own actions.
In a world that is constantly changing and so uncertain, there is no feeling like coming to and spending time with the One who never changes and whose love for you is unwavering.
3. Treat yourself to a concert
Concerts may be one of those things that you think about doing one day. But you may have found yourself without time or a person that shares your same tastes to enjoy it with you. The awesome thing about going to a concert when you’re single is that you can pick any genre and any time that works for you!
Whether it be a Christian rock concert like Third Day or an elegant evening at the symphony, scroll through February dates and see who is playing near you.
Something interesting playing a few hours away? Book it and turn it into an adventure! Find an interesting restaurant to stop by on the way and enjoy stopping for as many breaks as you want. You never know where the night will lead!
4. Take yourself for a walk through nature
Sorry guys, but I’m going to whip out a Gilmore Girls reference here. During this light hearted sitcom, single mom Lorelai expresses to her friend that her favorite day of the year is the day of first snow.
Each time the white flakes begin falling, she spends hours walking through her town and enjoying the beauty of the snow falling on the world around her. She marvels at the blanket of quiet that covers the earth that was so loud and full of movement just minutes before.
Maybe you’re a northerner already blanketed in snow or a southerner still able to take barefoot walks on the beach. Pack a backpack friendly meal, quiet your phone, and allow yourself to unplug for a few hours as you take in nature in its full beauty.
When you think of the fact that God communicates to us constantly via the earth, the sky and all of the nature sandwiched in between, even the experience of breathing in fresh oxygen can suddenly become magical. Take a break from the screen, turn off notifications from your online dating profiles, and be present.
5. Catch a matinee
Read any online dating article and you’ll find a movie on there somewhere.It’s such a common suggestion. In fact, that I almost left it off of this list. But then I realized that there’s a very obvious reason why movies are so popular.
Movies allow us all, for a couple of hours, to exit our own realities and enter into the world of someone else. Regardless of the genre, there is just no denying every human’s desire for a good story told through the beauty of excellent writing and good acting.
This February, skim the list of new releases and find something that appeals to you. Catch a matinee and use the money you save by seeing an afternoon movie to splurge on a huge tub of popcorn!
Enjoy a feature presentation without having someone spoil the ending or eat all of your snacks before the opening credits. Nothing says self care like a jumbo carton of Junior Mints.
6. Get to know the real story behind Saint Valentine
It’s easy to think that Valentine’s day is all about pink flowers, cute couples, online dating, and romantic comedies. But Valentine’s Day has a deep history that includes a lot of interesting saints. This year, set aside some time in your February calendar to encounter the saints behind this February holiday. Don’t know where to start? Check out this article to get you started.
God’s love for us knows no bounds and so does his desire for our happiness. This February, allow yourself to enjoy the person He has created and the person he is molding you to be.
