How to Survive Valentine's Day After a Big, Nasty Breakup

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According to the Greeting Card Association (GCA), nearly 145 million Valentine’s Day cards are sent out on the holiday each year, making it a holiday loved by most Americans. If you’ve gone through a divorce recently, however, you may not be feeling so fond of the love-themed day.

How to Get Through Valentine’s Day Post Divorce or Breakup

1. Celebrate the Day with Yourself.

If you’re not ready to get out with others, then use the day to celebrate your own gratitude and compassion for having survived the divorce, suggests Your Tango. Make a list of your strengths and place it where you can see it every day. On Valentine’s Day, celebrate by treating yourself in honor of those strengths.

Do something that you’ve wanted to do, but didn’t when your “ex” was still in your life. Do an overnight trip to that rural artist’s community, or visit a pottery studio. Sign up for a dance class. Pamper a part of you that may have been ignored throughout your relationship. This can be a time to celebrate a new beginning where you can be free to express yourself in ways you’ve recently suppressed.

2. Celebrate the Day with Others.

Enjoying the company of friends on Valentine’s Day can take the sting out of being alone. Invite over a number of friends and ask them to bring drinks, snacks and their favorite music. Also ask them to bring any old mementos to share that give them fond memories.

Scrapbooks of past vacations or day trips, videos they’ve taken of activities, even old year books with notes from high school sweethearts can bring a smile to the party. The goal is for everyone to share something that makes them feel good.

3. Celebrate by Giving to Others.

Make the day about someone else and you’ll feel the joy of helping make another person’s day, says ExConnection. Volunteer at a homeless shelter, senior center, or hospital. Help out with a party or hand out cards anonymously to people who rarely get visitors. Offer to provide flowers. FTD.com offers flower delivery to almost any location. Brighten a senior citizen’s day with a gift of flowers.

If your live in a community where there are single mothers, people who have recently lost a partner, or elderly adults who rarely go out, show up on their doorstep with a rose and a card. A simple “Happy Valentine’s Day!” and those gifts can make a big difference in a lonely person’s day.