Eight ways to enjoy Valentine’s Day without a significant other

Everywhere you look headlines, billboards and advertisements are telling us how to celebrate Valentine’s Day. If you’re in a relationship all this hype can be fun and romantic, but what if you don’t have a significant other to celebrate Valentine’s Day with this year? All these messages can be grueling whether you’re an adult or a teenager. The folks at Hey U.G.L.Y., Inc., the nonprofit organization that helps teens counter bullying, eating disorders, violence, substance abuse and suicide, say you don’t have to be doomed to a day and night of misery and self-doubt. Instead of wallowing in your “alone” status as if it was some impossible-to-shake-stigma, Hey U.G.L.Y. offers some suggestions on how to celebrate the day with their list of the eight things you can do without a significant other this Valentine’s day.

1. Celebrate yourself. Make a list of all of the wonderful, unique qualities you bring to the world. Note all of the things that you like about yourself and create a Valentines card that you can give yourself.

2. Buy yourself a gift. If you’ve been putting off getting that new CD, DVD or video game now is the time to buy it and give it to someone who really deserves it … YOU!

3. Take yourself out on a date. Go to a movie, hit the mall or treat yourself to a special dinner. Show yourself how much you value YOU.

4. Have a party … Friends are one of life’s greatest gifts. Let your friends know how much you appreciate them. Invite everyone over and have them all bring one of their favorite foods to share with the group.

5. Volunteer … Go to a local hospital, nursing home or animal shelter and bring some joy into someone’s life. Reach out to help others and enjoy the gift of giving to others.

6. See your inner beauty. Go to the local library or bookstore and read a couple of good books that will nourish your soul. We are all culturally trained to worry about what our outside looks like; when real beauty radiates from within.

7. Put a smile on your face and laugh. That’s right. In the book, The Hidden Messages in Water, the author explains how to change one thought process into another you need to replace it with it’s opposite. So, if you are feeling sad or stressed out make yourself laugh. If you can’t laugh on your own go to HeyUGLY.org and check out their $10.00 “Laugh It Off” CD. Recent research shows that laughing for ten minutes non-stop can aid in weight loss, stress reduction and heart health. Dr. Andrew Weil says laughter is one of the most effective ways to reduce stress. Plus you’ll feel good because one hundred percent of the profits from the sale of the CD help Hey U.G.L.Y. continue to deliver their self-esteem and diversity-building programs to educators for FREE.

8. Take care of your heart. Since this is the holiday of hearts why not be good to yours and exercise it. Go to the gym, take an hour jog, shoot some hoops. Get moving and let nature’s natural mood elevator – endorphins – kick in and raise your spirit!

Hey U.G.L.Y., Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to helping teens and tweens with self-esteem and empathy-building programs to empower them to be part of the solution to societal ills like bullying. (U.G.L.Y. is an acronym for Unique Gifted Lovable You.) The Hey U.G.L.Y. message has reached over 650,000 students through their Empathy Learning Activity Plans (ELAPs), website, radio show and work with schools, community organizations and youth development professionals. Their youth programs enable students to become an integral part in the teaching and learning process. Go to http://heyugly.org to learn more. Educators go to http://heyugly4educators.org. Parents visit http://heyugly4parents.org.

Contact Information

Kathey Gue

Media Relations

Hey U.G.L.Y., Inc.

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