How To Prevent Valentine’s Day Depression | 7 Ways
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Valentine’s Day Depression comes around once a year and debilitates so many people for at least a day!
Honestly, Valentine’s Day can be one of the most disappointing or underwhelming days of the year if you are single or in a relationship. These tips are here to help you overcome a little bit of these negative emotions.
Whether I have been single or in a relationship, I have found that Valentine’s Day depression can take over the whole day and ruin it unless you have some tricks up your sleeve to combat it!
It gets so much easier to deal with Valentine’s Day when you know what is coming and have some techniques to keep your emotions at bay and your mind in the right place. It’s hard not to get overwhelmed on a day that is so hyped up, and then your expectations aren’t met. That is why we are talking about ways that you can work on yourself on Valentine’s Day.
This post is all about Valentine’s Day Depression!
Why Do We Feel Depressed On Valentine’s Day?
While Valentine’s Day is supposed to be all about love, it can also come with a wide variety of emotions, from anxiety, disappointment, anger, and depression.
One of the most common reasons people feel depressed on Valentine’s Day is because they feel left out if they don’t have a partner, but there are also people in relationships who find that Valentine’s Day brings only negative feelings and feelings of resentment.
You might expect yourself to go on a romantic date with red roses and a box shaped like a heart with chocolates in it. When this doesn’t happen, it can cause you to feel disappointed in your circumstances.
Expecting to feel the most in love and putting so much pressure on one day can sabotage it without even trying to. Getting dressed up and going to dinner and it not being absolutely perfect can cause you to feel like the whole day was a wash.
Sometimes, we see images of people looking so happy and in love on their “perfect” dates. However, we must remember that these are just snapshots of their night and do not necessarily reflect their overall relationship. It can be easy to feel lonely and down when we see such images, but knowing that you are not alone is essential. There are always people in your life who love and cherish you just as you are. Everyone deserves to feel loved and cherished, including you.
As you can see, high expectations are the leading cause of the feeling of Valentine’s Day depression. The rest of this post is going to be about managing your expectations and how to manage yourself after you already feel depressed.
What Does Valentine’s Day Depression Look and Feel Like?
Depression comes in so many different forms, and depression from Valentine’s Day is no different! Any emotion from disappointment and resentment to oddly joyous is expected on this holiday. It is all about love.
The most common manifestation will look like laying in bed and watching mind-numbing videos with sweets and soda. But there are plenty of ways that this depression will show up!
You could also feel numb and like nothing will make you happy again.
One common manifestation is isolation. You might find yourself withdrawing from social situations, choosing to spend more time alone, possibly staying in bed or avoiding activities that you typically enjoy. This could also be accompanied by a sense of numbness or indifference, feeling as though nothing matters or that nothing can bring about happiness again.
Changes in eating habits, whether that’s overeating or losing your appetite entirely, are also common indicators of depression. Some might seek comfort in food, while others lose interest in it altogether.
Another symptom is anxiety and restlessness. The sight of others celebrating love and the pressure to meet the high expectations set by Valentine’s Day can trigger feelings of anxiety.
Feelings of sadness, tearfulness, or hopelessness are other common symptoms of depression. On Valentine’s Day, these feelings can be exacerbated by reminders of past relationships or the absence of a romantic partner.
Sleep disturbances, such as insomnia or oversleeping, are also often associated with depression. You may find yourself staying up late into the night or sleeping more than usual.
If you suffer from any of these, then you might suffer from Valentine’s Day Depression!
7 Ways To Improve Valentine’s Day Depression
1. Buy Yourself A Special Treat
Sometimes, you only need a little serotonin boost; a little treat can seriously bring it!
I love going to Walmart and buying a little cake or a pint of ice cream for a sweet treat. It can also be helpful to go to a big box store and buy a big pack of your favorite ice cream bars to always have on hand.
A little boost of happiness on a day when you feel like everything is wrong will help you feel more in control of your emotions. Treat yourself to something particular you don’t have every day to feel more special on a particular day.
You can also make a special drink. I would suggest drinking a frozen mocktail so you don’t develop unhealthy habits with drinking alcohol. Find some special recipe that is simple and easy, but use the nice ingredients and go all out!
Make this day special for yourself by treating yourself to something fun and exciting that you don’t usually enjoy!
2. Meet Up With Friends And Family
Having a support system can be crucial when going through depression.
Find single friends and family who don’t celebrate Valentine’s Day, or you might feel more lonely or overwhelmed. If you are in a relationship, it can also be a good idea to meet up with friends because you should make the day special if it is normally overwhelming for you.
Having a coffee or a dinner party is a great way to spend time with people other than a partner because you might not usually have another excuse. It is also super fun because you can meet up and have a long chat about the day and your feelings.
Opening up about your feelings can allow you to feel more open and release some pent-up emotions. Don’t let your feelings overwhelm you by holding them in!
Make the day extra special, go out with friends and family, and make it as fun as possible! Have a friend’s Valentine’s Day party! Tell everyone how much you love and appreciate them and something about them that you look up to. Fill up others, and they will have more to pour into you and others as well.
3. Have Clear Expectations With A Partner
Ensuring you and your partner are on the same page regarding Valentine’s Day can prevent a lot of heartache and resentment. Discuss what you want on Valentine’s Day and what you don’t want. Maybe you want to have a cozy night in with a good movie and wine. Or maybe you want a fancy dinner at a steakhouse with fancy wine and a quartet.
Explain to your partner what you like and don’t like about Valentine’s Day and why you like and dislike those things. With this knowledge, your partner will be equipped with some insight on how to make the day special.
Finding a compromise with your partner can be helpful as well. Maybe you want opposite things, so you spend half the night doing what one person wants and then the other half doing the other. If one partner doesn’t like the romance of it all, maybe do more friendly things, like mini golf and pickle ball, instead of an intimate dinner.
Choose a day that fits with y’alls schedule, too! Don’t feel obligated to spend your romantic evening on Valentine’s Day if someone has to work or doesn’t like busy restaurants. Choose the week before or after to enjoy Valentine’s Day if that suits your schedule better!
4. Practice Self Care Starting The Day Before
This is so important!
Start preparing yourself on February 13th and practice whatever self-care suits your fancy. Maybe you like to journal and take long baths, that is perfect! Or maybe you like to take a long walk and drink tons of water, that is also perfect! Choose what fits you for that day and how you are feeling.
Practicing self-care beforehand can improve how you react on the day of and how you feel later on. Don’t wait until the last second or until you feel inadequate to practice self-care.
Do the self-care as a preemptive step to prevent negative feelings. Fill yourself up so that you can adequately take on the day!
5. Play Soothing Music
Music can significantly influence your mood and feelings on a bad day! Playing soothing music is a great way to lighten up the vibe of your house or car and enjoy yourself and your company.
Spotify has a million playlists under the ‘Made For You’ section, which is excellent for finding a chill playlist that still embodies your music taste. You will know and love every song on the playlist because it is made for you!
I know that I feel so much more chill when I am playing chill music.
If you are curious about my chill Spotify playlist, mine was generated here!
I also have my go to playlist that is filled with Taylor Swift and The Kid Laroi (because he is my boyfriend’s favorite artist) and I cannot stop playing it!
6. Cry As Much As You Want/Can
Crying is an excellent form of self-care, and it is a disservice to hold it in! I can almost guarantee you’re not crying enough, which isn’t good for you.
If you feel upset, let out all of the tears and let them flow!! Feel all the feelings and write down everything you feel if you want to get extra emo. Sad music or a sad movie can help you cry if you usually have a hard time doing that. Here is my sad playlist that I use when I need a good cry.
It is super easy to make a playlist that gets your emotions flowing. Start early and add music that you already know that makes you feel all the feels. Slowly add more songs as you notice it makes you sad. Then, look at the suggested songs below the playlist for more ideas.
Start crying more often to get better at handling your emotions. Then you won’t have explosive attacks of crying after months of holding it in!
7. Eat A Nice Meal At Home
My favorite thing is finding a recipe on Pinterest that interests me and making it on a hard day.
A nice meal can fuel your soul and make you feel better overall. Try to find a recipe with a variety of nutrients if you can to fuel your brain and body.
Here is a recipe for the PF Changs Chicken Lettuce Wraps that are absolutely delicious and relatively easy to make at home.
I always have some sourdough made at home, and making a good grilled cheese is one of my favorite uses for this fantastic bread. If you like to make bread at home, making pizza dough is also super easy and fun.
Try to find a balance between fueling your soul and body because that is really what we are trying to do with eating at home.
If you decide to eat at a restaurant, you might feel more depressed when you see other couples enjoying the holiday together.
People like to portray themselves as happier than they really are, so it might feel lonely if you look around and see a bunch of couples that you imagine have a better relationship than you do or don’t have.
Well, There You Go!
This post was all about Valentine’s Day Depression!
I really believe you can enjoy valentine’s day even if you are not in a relationship. If you are in a relationship and the holiday is more depressing than anything, then try to treat yourself and your partner. Do a task that usually the other partner does like take out the trash or let the dogs outside etc.
Learn to embrace Valentine’s Day by making the day more about self-care than about romance!
Comment below with other tips and tricks that you use for Valentine’s Day depression!
-Caroline
