Of all the first holidays after a divorce, Valentine’s Day is arguably the most difficult. No doubt all the advertising and social media with lovey-dovey couples are painful to see. But the fact remains that a holiday celebrating love isn’t exclusive to just the romantic kind. The love you have for your friends, family, children, and even yourself is the most enduring anyway, right? And it’s also the key to having a happy Valentine’s Day after divorce as a newly single person. Here’s how.
- Phone a Friend – Or better yet, get together with them. Whether it’s dinner, drinks, some retail therapy, hanging at home, or Facetiming; laughing and catching up with friends is always happiness-inducing.
- Have a Me Day – Hit the spa, eat your favorite foods, binge your favorite movies, take a long bath, sleep in, read a new book, or any and all of the above. Simply treat yourself to a day of self-care and relaxation, whatever that means to you.
- Do Something Fun with the Kids – Between work, school, sports, and other activities, as well as the days they are with your ex, you probably don’t get to spend as much time just having fun with the kids as you’d like. Valentine’s Day is the perfect time to do some of the things you love most together!
- Find Time for Family – Whether it’s siblings, cousins, parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, godparents, or any combination thereof, the love of family is like no other. Set aside time on Valentine’s Day to call, get together, or even send a love letter of sorts to share how much they mean to you.
- Pamper Your Pets – Pet owners are always looking for an excuse to pamper their four-legged besties and Valentine’s Day is a great one. After all, their unconditional love and companionship likely helped you get through some of the darkest days during the divorce. Give them extra playtime, an extra walk, extra treats, a new toy, and/or that new sweater they’d look so fetching in!
- Make a Difference – Not only would you be helping those in need, but you might also be surprised how much it fills your heart as well. There are likely plenty of local opportunities like volunteering at an animal shelter, a nursing home, a food bank, or for another cause important to you.
Bonus Tip for a Happy Valentine’s Day After Divorce
Stay off social media. It’s worth repeating: Stay off social media. It’s actually something worthwhile to consider in general (especially when it comes to your ex’s accounts), but even more so on Valentine’s Day. There’s no quicker way to get in a downward spiral of negativity than to see all the photos, gifts, and special messages splashed across your newsfeed that day. Even if you know much of it is just for show, there’s no reason to put yourself in that mind space when you have so many other positive things in which to focus on Valentine’s Day and beyond.
For more information on how our online coaching and mediation services can help you during and after divorce, contact our expert team today to learn more.
