Looking for a way to spend this upcoming Valentines Day? Tired of feeling sorry for yourself when you don’t have anyone to spend it with? Here are a couple of ideas on how to spend this upcoming Thursday.

With a partner:

1. Go out to dinner: Support local business and take your significant other out to dinner at a restaurant like Big Oh’s in Huntsville or Old Black Bear Brewery in Madison.
2. Go to the arcade: Visit Pints and Pixels or Rocket City Arcade for a nostalgic feel with your S/O. Pints and Pixels has great food options as well.
3. Go to the movies: What Men Want, If Beale Street Could Talk, and Isn’t It Romantic are great options to see this weekend or next weekend.

With friends:

1. Celebrate “Galentine’s Day”: Galentine’s Day, popularized by “Parks and Recreation,” is a great opportunity to go out with your gal pals and show them how much you appreciate them! You can really celebrate this psuedo-holiday in any way, but many people choose to have house parties with all of their friends, wear pajamas and watch movies, or if you’re Leslie Knope, eat waffles with your besties.
2. Tell your friends how much you appreciate them: This can be done just by saying “Hey, I am so grateful that we are friends!” or buying a small card and writing a note telling them why you love them. Buy them a rose or make them a homemade card.

By Yourself:

There’s nothing wrong with spending Valentine’s Day by yourself! Even if you want to be with someone, it’s important to try and spin feeling lonely on this holiday into a positive thing. In fact, being by yourself on this day might be better than spending it with somebody else, because you have time to practice self-love. Self-love is something really important that many people forget to do, but taking time to do something that you enjoy simply for the sake of making yourself happy is a great thing to do.

1. Read: Both the Madison Public Library and the BJHS library have great reads to pick up, and if you have spare time, reading a book is a great way to show yourself some love. After doing it, you’re likely to feel really good about yourself, and reading is proven to relieve stress and make you happier. For suggestions on books to read, click here.
2. Go for a walk, run, hike, or bike ride: Exercise is proven to reduce stress and release endorphins. Enjoying nature while exercising will make you feel great. Unfortunately, the forecast for this Valentine’s Day shows rain, but there’s no harm in going to join a gym or going to a public basketball court and playing a game of pickup.
3. Create something:  From writing music to painting a portrait, creating anything can be therapeutic and feel rewarding.