15 Ideas for Valentine’s Day If You’re Flying Solo 

Valentine’s Day may have a reputation as a holiday that’s all about romantic love, but I think it’s time to rewrite the book on V-Day. Valentine’s Day can be about loving yourself or loving your friends just as much as it can be about loving a partner. 

Valentine’s Day can be particularly tricky if you’ve recently gone through a breakup or are having complicated feelings about your relationship status. If you feel like ignoring the day entirely, that’s totally okay. But if you’re looking for ways to show yourself some love and make it more than just a day you have to trudge through, there are plenty of fun ways to spend Valentine’s Day by yourself. 

One of my all-time favorite solo activities is sitting in a bubble bath with a glass of wine and a movie or TV show playing on my laptop. I get out feeling clean, relaxed, and ready to cozy up in bed. 

If bubble baths and wine aren’t your thing, try whatever other activities make you feel relaxed: yoga, a hot shower, rereading a favorite book, meditating, having a solo dance party—anything that makes you feel good is fair game. 

Celebrate your love for your best gal pals with a Galentine’s Day party. The holiday, which is typically celebrated on February 13, was invented and popularized thanks to an episode of “Parks and Recreation.” To quote the iconic Leslie Knope, the day is all about “ladies celebrating ladies.” 

Get your female friends together for brunch, cocktails, a hike, or a low-key gathering at home. Whatever the activity is, make sure you set aside some time to tell your friends what you love and appreciate about them. It’s what Galentine’s Day is all about!

A vision board is typically a collection of words and images that reflect what you want to create or find in the future. You can cut pictures and words out of magazines, use Canva or Photoshop to create a digital vision board, or start doodling your dream life on a piece of paper. 

Some questions you might ask yourself to get things started are: 

• What do I want my career to look like? 
• What about my finances? 
• What are my personal goals for the year? 
• What skills do I want to develop? 
• What kinds of people do I want to surround myself with? 
• Where do I want to travel? 
• What are some qualities I want to look for in my next romantic partner?

Once you’ve finished your vision board, hang it somewhere you’ll see it every day. It’ll remind you to work toward your goals and be open to whatever exciting things come your way. 

As Miley Cyrus famously sang, “I can buy myself flowers.” The single woman’s anthem is all about loving yourself (in some cases, better than your ex did). This Valentine’s Day, I hope you grab yourself a bouquet of your favorite blooms to remind yourself that you are worthy of love and thoughtful gestures. You don’t have to wait for someone else to do it. 

Numerous studies have shown that spending time in nature is linked to benefits like lower stress, better mood, improved attention, and increased empathy. You don’t have to trek up the side of a mountain to get the benefits. 

Simply walking through a local park will offer many of the same effects. February might not be a month when you’re excited to get outdoors, but you can bundle up and enjoy a cup of coffee or hot cocoa as you stroll. 

I always feel a little bit more polished (pun intended) when my nails look nice. Like buying yourself flowers, getting a manicure is a nice pick-me-up and a way to show appreciation for yourself. If manicures aren’t really your thing, some other options might be a pedicure, a massage, a facial, a blowout, or any other treatment that makes you feel and look good. 

I highly recommend buying yourself a Valentine’s Day gift. Treat yourself to that new video game, book, handbag, jewelry, skincare product, cute kitchen item, fancy coffee, or whatever else your heart desires. It can be as big or small as your budget allows. Just pick something that brings you joy. 

Valentine’s Day doesn’t have to be a big production. You can do something simple, like reading a book, starting a new streaming series, or having your own movie marathon. Snacks are not required, but definitely recommended. 

If you’re looking for a more mindful Valentine’s Day activity, try sitting down and journaling. If romantic love and relationships are on your mind, write it all out.

Allow yourself to explore your feelings about dating, family, friendships, your career, or whatever else comes to mind. Not only is it a helpful exercise to help you get in touch with your emotions, it can be interesting to look back on later. 

Celebrate Valentine’s Day by whipping up a dateworthy meal for yourself. Find a recipe you’ve been wanting to try and gather all your ingredients. Turn on some music and enjoy a drink while you’re cooking for the full date-night experience. Once you’ve whipped up your dish, you can share it with roommates or friends if you want, or enjoy it all by yourself. 

Why should couples get to have all the fun? This Valentine’s Day, spend a sensual evening with yourself. Put on some lingerie, light a candle, and pull out your favorite vibrator. Spend some time fantasizing about whatever gets you going, and make it your goal to simply enjoy yourself. 

Be spontaneous and book a last-minute trip for Valentine’s Day. You can keep it simple with a staycation at a nice hotel or Airbnb in your area, or hop on a plane to spend the weekend somewhere warm and tropical. Whatever you opt for, you’re sure to make some fun memories and bolster your self-confidence with a solo trip. 

Dining alone on Valentine’s Day might sound rough, but hear me out. Showing yourself love with a nice meal is actually a wonderful way to spend the evening. 

Bring a book to enjoy while you eat and order exactly what you want, enjoying the fact that you don’t have to share your meal or compromise with anyone about what to order. If you feel weird about going out to eat alone, sit at the bar, where it’s often more common to see people dining solo.

Valentine’s Day is all about love, so why not show some love to a friend or family member by giving them a call? Think of friends you haven’t caught up with in a while or family members who would love to hear from you. You’ll end the evening feeling full of warm feelings, trust me. 

If you’re having difficult feelings about being alone on Valentine’s Day, try volunteering. Getting out of your head and engaging with your community will probably make you feel a little less blue.

I suggest you try looking for organizations doing community work in your area. For example:

• Community gardens
• Animal shelters
• Food pantries

Mutual aid organizations and nonprofits are always looking for helping hands to do the important work. Chances are, they’ll be excited to have another person signing up to volunteer! 

Spending Valentine’s Day alone is a chance to revel in your independence, something that many coupled people probably envy. It’s an opportunity to spend your time exactly as you see fit, with the activities, food, drinks, and gifts that you want to enjoy. 

You don’t have to compromise with anyone, and that’s a gift in itself. There’s no reason to feel weird or awkward about being alone on Valentine’s Day. Instead, lean into it with a special day that’s crafted around you and your desires.