Why Valentine's Day is THE WORST and how to make it better.

Valentine’s Day UGH.

Feeling the pressure to have the BEST VALENTINE’S DAY EVER? Try spreading the love year round - your partner and your relationship will thank you.

Valentine’s Day can be hard on singles and couples alike. The day is loaded with expectations and comparisons. There’s pressure to have the “perfect night” with over-the-top romantic gestures and expensive gifts, not to mention ending the night with mind-blowing sex. The real truth is that extravagant dinners and heart-shaped chocolates aren’t band-aids for underlying relationship issues. Valentine’s Day, and the romantic stress it brings, can often amplify cracks in your communication and emotional connection.

Instead of pinning all your romantic hopes and dreams on one day, try celebrating your partner a little bit every day of the year. The antidote to Valentine’s Day, an over-inflated love fest, is to make your a relationship a priority in your life all year round. Give affection and gratitude every single day - small moments can really add up. I always tell my clients that porn for women is seeing a man vacuuming or changing the baby’s diaper without having to be asked or reminded first. Helpful men are so sexy!

Make a point to spend meaningful time together. Instead of your usual dinner and a movie date why not try a new experience? Hot air balloon ride? How about going to a professional sporting event? You could take a class together? Find a new hike? Even something as simple as cooking a new recipe together releases oxytocin, the “bonding” hormone.

If you’re looking for ways to show your partner you care, try studying Gary Chapman’s Five Love Languages. After years as a marriage therapist, Chapman recognized five unique ways that people speak and understand emotional love. Learn which love languages your partner best responds to and use them to show your love every single day. Remember, Valentine’s Day is once a year but love reigns eternal.