Today’s post is a guest post from Alysa at ImpulseSave. You can read more about Alysa at the end of this post.
If you are single this Valentine’s, it seems you only have two options:
1. Date some random person so that you don’t have to face being alone
2. Go out onto your balcony and throw water balloons at every couple you see
Although angry water-pegging seems very fun – let me assure you from experience that it almost always hits the innocent bystander you don’t intend, causing increasing enjoyment for the twitterpated duo. So this V-day let me suggest option number three: face it and embrace it.
To prevent you from twisting my words and waking up in a kiddie pool with an empty bottle of tequila and a fresh tattoo reading “single and loving it!!!!!!!!” – I’ve outlined 5 dos and don’t for February 14:
1. Do treat yourself to something you’ve had your eye on. A good friend recently bought a pair of expensive leather boots while she was unemployed. Why? Because she loves fashion and knows the impact that dressing well has on her self-presentation. She had applied to 30 jobs in the last month – and hadn’t heard back from a single one. To keep her spirits up while interviewing she bought the boots and – two weeks later she had a cubicle with her name on it.
Now I’m not saying that if you buy yourself something nice that you’ll get the desired result – whether that be a romantic or otherwise. But she did know that to make it through the rough patch she needed to treat herself. In a similar way whether you are recently single, going on your third year or have never had a significant other – it’s important to give yourself a little something, especially on a day that can get us down like none other.
2. Don’t go out with 5 girlfriends in a dress your mother would cry to see you in. There is seriously nothing more degrading than watching girls with low self-esteem drink lots and pretend to have fun together because they didn’t want to be alone. Now you may think I’m terribly rude but I’m only saying this because I’ve done this – I’ve been there and the extra sugar and calories in an attempt to forget that I’m alone and I don’t want you to do this. You’re worth far too much to put yourself (let alone your poor liver) through this! Besides, if you wear a dress that would scandalize your mother you’re asking for trouble: too many bad decisions are made on this night of idealized romance.
3. Don’t be afraid to stay in: while the world dawns their petty coats and heads out for a required evening of romance (how romantic!) I have found it best for me to stay inside. I’ve had one to many urges to strangle young love as it stared me in the face and I hated sitting at a table by myself or even with girlfriends.You don’t have to prove anything by going out. There are many fun, inexpensive ways to have fun in the safety of your own home or that of a friend. Play games, bake cookies, catch up on Downton Abbey, clean out your closet and your friend’s closet for a little clothing swap 
4. Don’t be hard on yourself: There is nothing wrong with being single and there is nothing wrong with you. I mean it – well, I mean it in the sense that we’re all messed up and have baggage and the important part is to keep working through it – not to wallow in mistakes of the past. Besides – you’re great and as great as it would feel to have someone else’s arms around you, learning to love yourself for who you are is the foundation of being able to love someone else: parent, child, boyfriend, husband, girlfriend or otherwise. You are who you are and whether that’s in a couple or flying solo, who you are really won’t change.
5. Do remember that it’s just a day. 24 little hours: 1 day out of 366 this year. So don’t exaggerate the importance of it. Life goes on (thank goodness) and who knows what February 15th will hold?
Alysa (a-lee-sah) is a bit of a mixed bag. She’s interested in people which leads her to study everything from socio-linguistics to behavioral economics, to ad campaigns (you should see her copies of Vogue). When she’s not on the train, she’s in Beverly, MA probably walking on the beach. Her favorite thing to do is take pictures with her film camera and write screenplays for her husband, The Great Filmmaker. Alysa serves as Marketing Director at ImpulseSave, which in Start-Up means she’s spearheading everything from social media engagement, writing and managing content on the blog, developing relationships with channel partners and getting people in to test the product: You should try it! ;)
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