Valentine’s Day: more than just romance

It’s Valentine’s Day, and you might be seeing lots of hearts and flowers all around. Sometimes it can be wonderful to be surrounded by love – but sometimes it can be hard, especially if you’re not currently in a relationship.  
If you’re not in the mood to celebrate romantic love, that doesn’t mean you have to ignore Valentine’s Day. Turn it into a day to appreciate yourself or a loved one!
Platonic and self-love are just as worthy of time, attention and celebration. Cooking a meal for a family member or friend, or treating yourself to an fancy face mask are perfect ways to commemorate the love in your life without making it about romance. Think about what makes you feel good, happy and loved and find ways to incorporate those things into your day.
Another great way to pass Valentine’s Day is to watch movies that celebrate strong friendships and self-care! Here’s some of our favourite happily-never-after movies to get you started:

• Romy And Michele’s High School Reunion: best friends, interpretive dance and lots of amazing outfits.
• Hot Fuzz: a buddy cop comedy with a dry British sense of humour and a high-energy vibe.
• Almost any Pixar movie: The Incredibles, Finding Nemo, Ratatouille, Monsters Inc… they’re all amazing, and they’re all about friendship, family and understanding yourself.
• The Shining: basically the opposite of Pixar movies… it’ll scare all the thoughts about relationships well away.

It’s also OK to feel less than your best today. Just know you’re not truly alone. If you need someone to talk to, Lifeline is open all day on 13 11 14