Let’s address the elephant in the room first. It’s February and we’re still in a pandemic. Fucking hell. I’m sure we were all wishing that we’d be back to some sort of normality by Valentine’s Day; regardless of our relationship status but alas, here we are. Today I want to share some solo date ideas for Valentine’s Day this year and convince you that loving YO’SELF is the most important thing you can do.
Photo by Ellieelien on Unsplash
Self love doesn’t come easily to me. Neither did spending time alone until last year when I basically couldn’t spend ANY time alone and I really struggled with it. At the beginning of 2020, I took myself on my first ever solo cinema date and I also had a solo staycation booked for April. Of course the staycation didn’t happen but learning to love myself and love spending TIME with myself is something that has become hugely important to me.
Related read: Valentine’s Day Gift Guide 2021
Valentine’s Day; typically associated with couples. Mostly cis couples at that. Flowers, chocolates and a fancy dinner in Nando’s. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t hate Valentine’s Day nor have any problem with those that celebrate it every year. My boyfriend and I don’t celebrate it ourselves but that’s our choice. But I think the emphasis on love around this time of year can certainly be extended to the love we have for ourselves.
Related read: 20 Ways To Practice Self Love
Something that I’m going to make a point of doing this year is having a date night with myself. If you’re rolling your eyes at that, that’s cool. It can sound a bit cuckoo to some. But for others it could be the very first step to practicing self love on a deeper level and learning to love spending time with yourself, whether that’s doing a face mask, getting intimate with yourself and your favourite sex toy whilst you watch freecams live or taking yourself out for a coffee.. Let’s face it, the only person you’re going to be spending the rest of your life with is you. You might as well get used to it. These solo date ideas will help you get more comfortable with prioritizing time with yourself!
So today I want to share with you some solo date ideas that you can have with your beautiful self this Valentine’s Day (or any day!)
Have an at home spa evening
Probably the most obvious option but now is a GREAT time to have a full-on spa evening with all the bells and whistles. Think all your favourite products, bath bombs, a glass of bubbly, lotions and potions, nail painting, exfoliating – the LOT. I love doing this occasionally and it always feels like such a huge treat.
Cook your favourite 3 course meal from scratch
I love this one because cooking can be really soothing and a real act of self love and self care. 2020 really made me more interested in cooking and throwing ingredients together to see what I could come up with. But as this is a special occasion (and YES, a solo date is a special occasion) it might be nicer to indulge in all your favourites. Lay the table, print a menu, put on some candles – go all out.
Or order your favourite takeaway for a cozy solo date night in
Can’t be arsed to cook? No problem. This one will be more up your street! When my boyfriend used to go out after work occasionally (does anyone actually remember what it felt like to properly “go out”?) I’d make a point of having a proper lovely night in with myself. I’d stick on my favourite TV show (usually One Tree Hill), order my favourite takeaway (usually sushi), pour myself a drink and just have a bloody lovely night in.
Do an intention setting ritual and gain clarity
I have a whole eBook / workbook in my freebie library to help with this one! If you want to check out my End of the Month Ritual in the freebie library below (just sign up to my mailing list for instant access to ALL my freebies) that will take you through a beautiful ritual I like to do every month which includes releasing things that aren’t serving you, reflecting and intention setting. I adore this ritual and of course, you can do it at ANY time.
Spend the day doing all your favourite things
If you have the luxury of dedicating an ENTIRE DAY to yourself then you really should. There’s nothing nicer than spending a whole day doing everything you love. Block out a day in your calendar and tell your family or whoever you live with not to disturb you. You should never feel guilty about putting yourself first. And make a mega list of all the things you love that you want to do that day; read, go for a walk, play Red Dead Redemption for 8 hours.