Valentine’s Day is tomorrow. Many people, all over Long Island, are going to be celebrating with their romantic partners by going out to dinner, planning a romantic evening, or just staying at home and spending some much needed quality time together.
But Valentine’s Day isn’t without its complications. For many, it is a day of intense emotion. For some people, it is a date that triggers traumas, or reminds people of feelings they wish they had. Some couples, both those struggling and those that are thriving, find that the day itself can be hard, as life can be busy and many things can take away from our ability to celebrate it the way we want to.
What Happens to Our Mental Health on Valentine’s Day?
Tomorrow is a Tuesday. For most people, it is not a day off. It is a day where we still work, take our kids to school, and try our best to manage our finances and the stresses of our lives. That is why it is not uncommon for this day to actually be a stressful one. The pressure of feeling like we need to love on our partners all while we’re trying to manage our day to day life.
We sometimes buy gifts that we cannot afford, or we do not buy gifts only to feel like failures. We may try to plan much needed romantic evenings only to find that the restaurants are packed to the brim with other couples, or we may ignore the holiday and feel like we’re not living up to our partner’s expectations. It can also be a reminder of where our relationship is – sometimes, on the “day of love,” we wonder what has happened to our relationships, and why it isn’t where we want it to be.
No matter what you experience on Valentine’s Day, there is some value in having a day to think about our relationships, our partners, and where we feel we are emotionally within our marriages and relationships. If you find that:
- Your relationship isn’t as loving and intimate as you want it to be.
- Your relationship isn’t the priority with so much going on in your life.
- Valentine’s Day is making you sad, for reasons you may or may not be able to articulate.
- Valentine’s Day is bringing up painful or traumatic memories.
This doesn’t necessarily mean that your relationship is doomed to fail, or that it’s time to move on. It also may not have anything to do with your relationship. But it is a sign that there is at least something that you may need to address, with your partner or with yourself.
Therapist for Couples and Individuals at Long Island Counseling Services
Valentine’s Day is mostly a corporate holiday built around trying to convince you to spend money on your loved ones. It does not inherently have meaning. But its association with love, relationships, and romance means that many people experience things on Valentine’s Day that can be associated with our mental health. If you are finding that your mental health is struggling this Valentine’s Day for any reason, contact Long Island Counseling Services today to learn more.