Sober & Single: How to Celebrate Valentine’s Day in Recovery?

Valentine's day is a special day to celebrate love and relationships. For some people in recovery, romantic relationships could be detrimental to the recovery process. This tip sheet offers some great ideas to help you plan a happy and healthy Valentine's day celebration.

Factors to Remember When Planning Your Valentine's Day

Our guide aims to help your planning process. We serve you some fun and budget-friendly ideas to make Valentine's Day special. As you review our list, remember to consider if and how you can apply these ideas because the success of your Valentine's Day could depend on the following:

• Parental permission
• Your Budget
• Transportation needs and resources
• Curfew times
• Adult supervision requirements
• Your interest and other participant's interests

Using Your Creativity to Express Love

Often, the simple and thoughtful things bring our loved ones joy. To help, consider what makes the person in your life unique, rather than focusing on material things like gifts or expensive dinners. Instead of buying a generic gift, you create your own, like a beautiful card made from construction paper, glue, and scissors. You may consider writing a special poem or song for your loved one that expresses your gratitude for their support of your recovery.

Take Care of Yourself

We recommend not limiting this day to just your loved ones. Take time to give yourself love, too. Loving yourself can help your confidence in relationships. It helps to feel good about the person you are. Essentially, show appreciation for what you have and how far you have come in recovery. Take care of yourself by:

• Waking up early and practicing positive affirmations
• Arranging a "date" with yourself. Watch your favorite movie, go out with your favorite friends, visit a museum, play a sport, or read a good book.
• Do something that makes you feel good about yourself, like a hike, meditation, or cooking.
• Take time to reflect and express your concerns and happiness with journaling, therapy, or talking to a trusted loved one.

Valentine's day calls for showing appreciation for all that you have accomplished and how much you care about the people in your life.

Valentine's Day Date Ideas for Teenage Couples or Friend Groups

Valentine's day is a special time when to celebrate love and romance. The holiday can be challenging to navigate as a teenager, and here are some ideas to help you find your way through this season.

• Scavenger Hunt: Create or find a scavenger hunt that you and your partner can do together. Include unique or memorable spots relevant to your relationship, like the first place you met.
• Romantic Stroll: Take a romantic walk around the neighborhood.
• Be Active: Consider going on a hike, to an amusement park,  or bowling.
• Nighttime Picnic: Consider having a picnic in your backyard.
• Explore Your City: Take advantage of your city's public art galleries,  museums, or parks. Art and nature often bring couples and friends closer.
• Party: Invite your classmates and family over for a party. Just make sure there are rules in place, so everyone has sober, safe fun.
• Baking or Cooking Get-together: Invite people over to hold a fun Valentine's day cooking or baking session, then spend the evening enjoying the meal or treats together.

Budget-Friendly Gifts

Stores use this time of year to sell products. Yet, Valentine's day calls for expressing love in meaningful ways, which applies to your gift-giving. You can create meaningful gifts on a budget that will please everyone. Here are some budget-friendly gifts to consider:

• Make your own decoupage heart (or card) using your favorite pictures of loved ones.
• Write a letter that tells your partner what makes them unique and how they make your life better. You can even make little cards with stickers that let people know how much they mean to you.
• Have a photo session with family members. Ask everyone to dress up or wear their favorite clothes. You can use any camera, including the camera on your phone.
• Give your significant other an edible gift. You can make a special homemade treat sweet or savory, so long as it is your partner's favorite.
• Get the perfect gift by taking pictures of yourself at places relevant to your relationship, like where you first met or your first date. Compile all those photos with meaningful captions into a slideshow video.
• Buy flowers from a local shop or farmer's market and ask them to create an arrangement with your loved one's favorite colors. You might even include balloons and a card with the flowers.

Valentine's Day encourages people to express themselves more openly to their family, friends, and loved ones. Teens can show how they feel about the special people in their life, regardless of whether it is a friendship or romance. It is important to put your recovery needs first when planning. If you cannot put your health first, or if Valentine's Day is creating negative feelings, and you are considering using substances to cope, then the time to get help is now. At Clearfork Academy, we understand that while Valentine's Day can be a day to celebrate love, it can also become a day where you feel lonely. Getting ahead and taking measures to help you manage a happy and healthy Valentine's day is critical. Our treatment programs provide both initial and continuing care so you are never without a treatment option. To learn more about our programs, call us today at (817) 259-2597.