I mean, one person would take offence if their partner didn’t book the restaurant, got the traditional flowers, card and chocolate, while another would go mad if their partner did the exact same thing!

Communication is the key to that one!

Figure out what they like before you go head first into planning mode.

For some it might be;

•dinner

•flowers

•jewellery

•picnic

•massage

•facial

•a scenic walk

•bath with scented candles

•lie on in the morning

•shopping trip

For others it might be;

hiking

cycling

a boat trip

a helicopter ride

help in the garden

a day without the kids (sorry kids, we love you really, we do, but sometimes we need a break).

Really there’s no one-size-fits all formulae.

At the end of the day, to celebrate your love for someone, I presume you want them to feel loved by the thing you gift them… and because everybody reacts differently to gifts, do your homework!

Anyway, showing your love is so much more meaningful when it is done because you felt like it, prompted by your own desire to do so. Hence, personally, I much more enjoy the random acts throughout the year, when I’m not expecting them and they are not guided by anything other than my needs in a given day or his inspiration.

And what about if you are single? Some say they hate Valentines Day, that it reminds them of their relationship status, which they are unhappy about. If you are finding that social media is very challenging, looking at all the gifts that people got their partners, then I suggest you save yourself from this and do not go on for a day or so, or at least limit your time. It’s like holiday photos when you haven’t been on holidays yourself…depending on where you are at in your own life, they can leave you feeling low in yourself. I won’t delve into the psychology of why people put up stuff and that you don’t, or at least seldom, see the negative side of their life, so I will simply suggest to you that if you feel yourself being challenged by this content, limit your time looking at it.

Spend some time doing something you love instead!

What about that film you have been wanting to watch for ages? Or the essential oil set that you got for Christmas and haven’t opened? Or didn’t you want out checkout the new art & crafts shop…. maybe there’s something there that would make for a nice evening’s activity? Or maybe just a nice bath and bed early!

You do not need someone else’s gift to make you feel good, you do have the power to look after yourself, we are just not that good at it! We struggle to sometimes even know what it is we would like to do as a special night in just for ourselves, let alone then carry it out.

But this is self-care!

Self-care comes in all shapes and sizes and can be done very simply, doesn’t have to cost any money and still be wonderful!!

It may feel strange at first but trust me, you will feel more comfortable with the idea as you practice it. And you do not have to keep it to just Valentines Day, I actually would be horrified if you did!

If you have never had a night just for you, with some consciously planned me-time, then let this be the start of something great. If you find the idea totally weird, start with one activity as opposed to whole evening, and then grow into the concept with time.

So be your own Valentine, make a plan and spend some time with you!