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By paNOW Staff

Valentine’s Day: A reminder to love yourself too

Feb 14, 2022 | 1:00 PM

Valentine’s Day isn’t just for celebrating romantic relationships. It can be an empowering day for singles too.

Tiffany Olson is a registered social worker and co-operator of Turquoise Tree Counselling and Wellness in Prince Albert. She said holidays in general can be difficult, but Valentine’s Day is especially tough because it signifies couples-based relationships. If you’re alone and not having a great day, Olson said setting boundaries with social media can help.

“We have to recognize social media may not represent the actual reality behind closed doors. And one thing I find is people in nature tend to tell ourselves stories in our head about certain situations,” she said. “A lot of harm can come from our perception of what’s actually going on. We have to choose our thoughts carefully when it comes to these things. What is the story we’re telling ourselves because we can cause additional suffering that is unnecessary.”

Olson said there is a difference between pain and suffering. Pain is something we cannot avoid if we have a breakup that was meaningful. Suffering is the story we tell ourselves about that breakup and that can cause additional pain on top of that grief.

“So, boundaries around social media is good. Looking at what we’re telling ourselves but also honouring ourselves with doing things that are good for us. We should act like we’re dating ourselves,” Olson said.

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Part of that could be creating new memories on Valentine’s Day and throughout the year by spending more time with yourself doing things you like. She suggested having a bubble bath, spending time with friends, or taking a walk – things that allow you to be present in the moment.

“I don’t want to take away from the grief part. There is real grief for someone who has gone through a breakup, separation, or a loss. So, take time to honour the grief and sit with it because when we honour that grief we also honour the love.”

Learning to love yourself is a great theory for life in general according to Olson. She explained too many people look for others to complete them.

“When we are able to love ourselves fully with or without someone, we really do make the best partners.”

Since the start of the pandemic, Olson said her business has noticed a huge increase in caseloads.

“People are tired and, again, that social media really plays heavily into it. I think its good to be educated and informed, but people have gotten really fixated on the global pandemic and there needs to be some boundaries in terms of what we’re looking at,” she said.

“Have awareness, but don’t let it overtake your life.”

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panews@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @princealbertNOW