By Lonely Cat Lady, Illustration by Charlie To
Happy Valentine’s day, guys, gals, and non-binary pals!
It’s that time of year when everyone pairs off and wanders off into their bedrooms. It can be a hard time (no pun intended) for the single ladies out there. But just because you’re single doesn’t mean you can’t experience some love today!
This Valentine’s day, it’s time to love yourself even more than the other 364 days of the year. It’s time to be your own independent girl boss because partners come and go, but you’re (for better or for worse) stuck with yourself. Because of that, I invite you all to indulge in my little Valentine’s day tradition — self-love.
I’ll be honest; self-love has meant a lot of different things to me over the last few years. Sometimes it means accepting myself no matter what, embracing my insecurities, treating myself when I otherwise wouldn’t and even a little different kind of self-pleasure.
Whatever self-love may mean for you, here are a couple of things to make your Valentine’s day this year even more special (tried and true by yours truly):
- Buy yourself some flowers, à la Alex Russo. Liven up your room by putting them in a cute vase — it doesn’t have to be very ornate. Simplicity is key sometimes.
- Cook yourself a fancy meal — an upgraded version of something you love. Play some loud music in the background while you’re cooking, and take some time to reconnect with yourself.
- Ground yourself in the present by going on an extra-long walk. Take the scenic route to or from campus, or explore a new park in London.
- Take yourself out on a study date. Treat yourself to a nice cup of coffee while you’re being productive. This way, you kill two birds with one stone (and become more efficient, as is the LSE way).
- And listen, if all else fails, the Internet is always there…
No matter what, remember to always be kind to yourself. Sending all my love your way.
