Mental Health Above All: How To Deal With Negative Thoughts This Love-Centric Week

With Valentine’s Day approaching, from a bird’s eye view, the planet will turn red. Those not wearing red are mostly singles, and singles are probably sad and desperate on Valentine’s Day for reasons that are pretty obvious.

Interestingly, there’s actually a day called Desperation Day, and as you may have guessed, it falls on February 13, the day before Valentine’s. The fun thing about this day is that it was mentioned by the fictional TV character Barney Stinson in one of the most famous sitcoms that came to mankind: How I Met Your Mother (HIMYM).

As the name suggests, ‘Desperation’ Day gives out negative vibes; if you’re single, you’ll probably find yourself trapped in a blue mood, where a trail of negative thoughts taking center stage or you will be rushing trying to find someone to ‘date’ on Valentine’s day.

So, how should you deal with these negative thoughts and work on your mental wellbeing on Desperation Day to actually enjoy a calmer more aware Valentine’s Day? We lay out some tips that’ll help lift your spirit and steer you away from feeling sad on the much dreaded Desperation Day.

Don’t Expect the Worst

Our minds tend to jump to negative conclusions that only ruin the moment we’re currently living. This is the case for us as singles on Valentine’s Day. We may find ourselves visualizing how miserable we’ll be on that day. It’s natural, though; we humans feel sorry for ourselves.

However, to change the narrative, you need to rewire your perspective on Desperation Day. So instead of expecting the worst the next day, prepare a plan for how awesome (or even OK) you’ll spend this Valentine’s. This leads us to our next tip.

Plan Ahead

You can go extra or keep it low-key – whatever the case, planning will help distract you from your thoughts.

It’ll also ensure you have a clear schedule for Valentine’s Day, whether you choose to watch a movie, go to the cinema, hang out with friends, play sports, do chores, create content, read a book, do your homework, work – the list goes on. 

The ‘planning’ energy may even let you feel more productive, boosting your mood. So it’s a win-win.

If you don’t set a plan, you’ll leave room for not-so-good decisions to happen on Valentine’s, such as hanging out with people you don’t like or giving a call to your ex. We don’t want that to happen.

Connect With People

You can’t live without people; that’s a fact. Even if you have all the self-love you need, we can’t stress how important it is to have your own support group. Family, friends, colleagues, relatives, or even our pets – just connect.

Take advantage of this love ‘season’ to reconnect with old friends you missed, check in on family members, or even volunteer at charities and spread some love there.

Change the Narrative

Perhaps we need another form of love: loving ourselves.

While we mentioned the importance of external relationships in the last tip, we still need to practice self-love and compassion; it’s like strengthening your internal relationship with yourself.

So, as a new Valentine’s take, try to reflect on the love that comes from within. Remind yourself that you’re enough, and although external love and support are needed, self-worth needs to grow from within first.

Moving forward, that would be healthy in your relationships, as you’ll understand more about yourself.

Forget About Valentines

We don’t mean it in the way that Valentine’s Day is an on/off switch. Yet, you can totally ignore Valentine’s Day. You’re not really obligated to plan, celebrate, or do anything special on that red-themed day.

You can simply treat it like any other day. Don’t let social media pressure you – if you don’t want to be a part of it, don’t. 

So if you have healthy ignorance skills, feel free to proceed with your everyday life normally.

Desperation Day Is Just a Day

This Desperation Day, try setting a goal for yourself not to feel sad, not just on that day but also on Valentine’s Day. Remember, after all, it’s just a day, and you’ll face many of opportunities in your life to love and be loved just as you wish, so breathe, smile, and always be hopeful.

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