<p>Anyone who has yearned for a partner on Valentine’s Day will know how hard it is to bear all the excessive mush and romance oozing out of everywhere, especially on social media. The loneliness can be crippling.</p>.<p>However, in a world where one in five millennials claims to have no friends and 27 per cent say they have no close friends, fretting about the lack of a partner is pointless.</p>.<p><strong>Also read: <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/specials/google-celebrates-valentine-s-day-with-hamsters-in-love-1081282.html" target="_blank">Google celebrates Valentine’s Day with hamsters in love</a></strong></p>.<p>The good news is that while couples seem to be much happier than singles, research also shows that singles, especially single women, are just about as happy and healthy as their married friends when they have a solid social group.</p>.<p>So don’t mope around feeling lonesome. Here are a few ways in which you can feel pretty good about yourself on the day of love. </p>.<p><strong>Celebrate you</strong></p>.<p>Plan a date with yourself. Buy a bottle of wine, order some delicious food, light some candles and settle down to watch your favourite movie. And don’t feel sorry for yourself while you are at it–"you” are the most important person in your life. Let this self-love be a pattern that you follow even after V-day is over. Learn to prioritise yourself, get in touch with your emotions and indulge yourself daily with regular exercise, healthy meals, proper hydration and sound sleep.</p>.<p><strong>Reach out to friends</strong></p>.<p>Get together with your close friends and celebrate your bond. Throw a party, dance, laugh and allow yourself to unwind. Friends may not take the place of a romantic partner but their emotional support is just as precious. </p>.<p><strong>Practise gratitude</strong></p>.<p>Create a gratitude list of 10 things you appreciate about your life. Be grateful for what and who you have in your life. Don’t focus on what is lacking. This can lead to dissatisfaction, where you feel nothing is enough, even when you get the thing you thought you wanted. This thinking pattern is disempowering because you are placing your power and sense of happiness on external sources, which are out of your reach. This can lead to feelings of hopelessness, anxiety and depression. </p>.<p><strong>Get off social media</strong></p>.<p>Do a digital detox and stop believing everything you believe on social media. Not all couples are as happy as their photos make it seem and no one’s life is picture-perfect. Get away from social media if it makes you feel bad about yourself or your life.</p>.<p><strong>Seek therapy</strong></p>.<p>Staying strong and positive when you are lonesome is easier said than done. So if you find that V-Day sends you down a loneliness spiral, feel free to seek therapy. A therapist will help channel your positive thoughts and help you deal with your crisis.</p>.<p><em>Divya Mohindroo is the founder of Embrace Imperfections and a mental health expert. </em></p>
<p>Anyone who has yearned for a partner on Valentine’s Day will know how hard it is to bear all the excessive mush and romance oozing out of everywhere, especially on social media. The loneliness can be crippling.</p>.<p>However, in a world where one in five millennials claims to have no friends and 27 per cent say they have no close friends, fretting about the lack of a partner is pointless.</p>.<p><strong>Also read: <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/specials/google-celebrates-valentine-s-day-with-hamsters-in-love-1081282.html" target="_blank">Google celebrates Valentine’s Day with hamsters in love</a></strong></p>.<p>The good news is that while couples seem to be much happier than singles, research also shows that singles, especially single women, are just about as happy and healthy as their married friends when they have a solid social group.</p>.<p>So don’t mope around feeling lonesome. Here are a few ways in which you can feel pretty good about yourself on the day of love. </p>.<p><strong>Celebrate you</strong></p>.<p>Plan a date with yourself. Buy a bottle of wine, order some delicious food, light some candles and settle down to watch your favourite movie. And don’t feel sorry for yourself while you are at it–"you” are the most important person in your life. Let this self-love be a pattern that you follow even after V-day is over. Learn to prioritise yourself, get in touch with your emotions and indulge yourself daily with regular exercise, healthy meals, proper hydration and sound sleep.</p>.<p><strong>Reach out to friends</strong></p>.<p>Get together with your close friends and celebrate your bond. Throw a party, dance, laugh and allow yourself to unwind. Friends may not take the place of a romantic partner but their emotional support is just as precious. </p>.<p><strong>Practise gratitude</strong></p>.<p>Create a gratitude list of 10 things you appreciate about your life. Be grateful for what and who you have in your life. Don’t focus on what is lacking. This can lead to dissatisfaction, where you feel nothing is enough, even when you get the thing you thought you wanted. This thinking pattern is disempowering because you are placing your power and sense of happiness on external sources, which are out of your reach. This can lead to feelings of hopelessness, anxiety and depression. </p>.<p><strong>Get off social media</strong></p>.<p>Do a digital detox and stop believing everything you believe on social media. Not all couples are as happy as their photos make it seem and no one’s life is picture-perfect. Get away from social media if it makes you feel bad about yourself or your life.</p>.<p><strong>Seek therapy</strong></p>.<p>Staying strong and positive when you are lonesome is easier said than done. So if you find that V-Day sends you down a loneliness spiral, feel free to seek therapy. A therapist will help channel your positive thoughts and help you deal with your crisis.</p>.<p><em>Divya Mohindroo is the founder of Embrace Imperfections and a mental health expert. </em></p>