As the holiday of love comes around each February, it fills people with one of two things: excitement or dread. Those in relationships are eager to spend time with their significant other, but it often leaves single people feeling lonely and upset. Valentine’s Day should recognize more than just romantic love, as platonic and self-love are more than worthy of being celebrated.
A study conducted by the dating app “Plenty of Fish” concluded that 60% of Gen Z and 43% of people of all generations find Valentine’s Day to bring immense pressure. The study found that common influences on negative emotions about the holiday came from social media, advertising and societal expectations.
However, the holiday should not evoke pessimism. Valentine’s Day is an opportunity to appreciate what people have, not what they don’t. Despite one’s relationship status, there are more ways to celebrate devotion.
A forgotten beneficial relationship is platonic love, which describes close, non-romantic connections. These come in the form of bonds with friends or family, and they are incredibly advantageous.
Platonic love improves mental and physical health. According to the world’s largest online therapy service, BetterHelp, these relationships provide emotional support, higher resilience and increased moods.
Especially in a time when loneliness is heavily prevalent, friendships and social connections are exactly what people need. According to the Newport Institute, 1 in every 3 adults aged 18-25 report feeling lonely. This issue plants deeper problems, as isolation is linked to depression and other negative health effects, according to the American Psychological Association. However, platonic relationships can help minimize loneliness by serving as an outlet for comfort, laughter and joy.
Improved physical health also highlights how much platonic love truly impacts a person’s life. For example, sharing stressors with a supportive friend helps decrease blood pressure, and even completing hard tasks with another person helps reduce heart rate reactivity, according to the American Psychological Association. Just as anxiety and depression can cause heart issues, insomnia and a weakened immune system, the absence of those problems promotes a thriving, healthy body.
The Newport Institute study also found that 44% of young adults feel they matter little or not at all to people. This emphasizes the importance of expressing love for friends and family, so that they know they are valued and cared for — an opportunity that Valentine’s Day provides.
Another kind of love that can be celebrated is self-love. Like platonic friendships, positive internal relationships promote better mental and physical well-being, including reduced anxiety and depression.
According to clinical psychologist Diana Hill, inner kindness encourages people to make decisions that promote the formation of healthy habits. People want to take care of those they love, and the same goes for themselves.
More importantly, self-love is the base that all other relationships grow from. It’s hard for a person to prioritize their platonic or romantic relationships if they don’t take care of themselves first.
If romance is present in a person’s life, Valentine’s Day is the perfect opportunity to show love and appreciation for a significant other.
However, romantic love is not the only kind that poses benefits and is not the only kind that should be celebrated on Valentine’s Day. Friendships and inner relationships are more than worthy of being recognized, so make sure those are not forgotten this year.
Don’t let societal expectations bring you down this holiday, instead celebrate the love you already have.
This story was written by Amelia Lerret. She can be reached at [email protected].
