February 14 will always be that day where loved-up couples collectively raise the bar in showing their affection for one another, with generally no care where they are. It’s the day of lovesick teenagers confessing to their crushes, lovey-dovey couples giving flowers and chocolates to each other during breaks, and exes contemplating their decisions with their friends after school.

On the other side of the field, however, are the singletons who can only watch as their classmates get gifted with roses by their secret admirers, and walk down hallways decked out with paper cut-outs of hearts and cheesy pick up lines. We’ve all been there.

This is expected to be even tougher these days as we’re all still amid a global pandemic, and we can’t simply call our best friends for a night out if we get too lonely.

But don’t worry, in the age of self-love and self-empowerment, here’s a secret to surviving that dreaded day for all single folks: you don’t need a partner to feel loved on V-day.

Love is surely in the air this Valentine’s season, and here are a few things you can do to make sure you’re just as happy and content as your friends in relationships:

TREAT YOURSELF

May it be online shopping days ahead to experience the joy of gift-opening on February 14, ordering a meal from your favorite restaurant, or simply showing yourself a little more love than usual. Take the day to shower yourself with things that make you happy, no matter how “cheesy” or “corny” it feels. We all deserve some self-care every now and again.

WATCH A MOVIE (WITH YOUR FRIENDS OR ALONE)

Focusing on a different reality entirely by watching a movie can distract us from thinking about our own relationships and love lives, if that’s what you want. You can either choose to watch genres that are anything but romantic, like horrors, animation, and action movies with your other single friends. Or, if you want to spend the night immersed in your own feels, you can also watch romantic comedies or sad romance flicks for a good crying session.

TAKE A BREAK FROM SOCIAL MEDIA

You can bet that all your social media feeds will be full of lovey-dovey content on Valentine’s as couples proclaim their love for one another with long captions of appreciation, and photo ops of gift-giving and date nights. If you think this is something that could potentially ruin your mood, take the day off from scrolling through Instagram, Twitter and Facebook to avoid getting salty over other people’s happiness.

SHOW YOUR LOVED ONES SOME LOVE

As they say, to give is better than to receive. What better way to spread some V-day love than to send your own single friends some flowers? Or to treat your parents with some well-deserved gifts? Remember that the season is not only dedicated to celebrating romantic relationships, but, at its core, it’s a time to celebrate love and affection for everyone.

WORKOUT

What’s one of the best way to stop feeling sorry for yourself? Do something about it! Go on a quick jog surrounded by nature, have some fun keeping up with dance videos online, or sweat it out with a good ol’ workout. This can be greatly beneficial for your physical, mental, and emotional health—and taking care of your body will only make you stronger, too.

LET OUT YOUR FEELINGS ON A JOURNAL

It’s been said a million times, but journalling helps us come to terms with our emotions, to eventually let them go. If you’re feeling sad and lonely? Write about it. If you’re feeling happy and content? Write about it. If you’re feeling totally indifferent with the whole season? Write about it. In doing this, you’re allowing yourself to be completely honest and raw in letting out your innermost thoughts, making way for peace and clarity to come in.

LASTLY, REMEMBER THAT BEING SINGLE IS TOTALLY FINE

Don’t worry too much about spending this Valentine’s Day alone! It’ll be a day for some much-deserved alone time where you can pamper yourself without the added responsibilities of being in a relationship. February 14 is just another day, so there’s no need to pay attention to added societal pressures and so-called life timelines. You do you!