LOS ANGELES, February 13, 2018 (Newswire.com)
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Valentine’s Day, like most other national days of giving, has become renowned for its spending, which is estimated at $13 billion annually. One billion cards are sent each year. On average, men spend $130 and, remarkably, 9 million people buy their pets Valentine’s Day gifts. What Lovers’ Day is less known for, is its disastrous effects.
According to a poll, one in ten young adults admitted to feeling lonely, insecure, depressed or unwanted on Valentine’s Day, and forty percent of people have negative feelings toward it. This is no surprise, considering research shows that 75 percent of suicide attempts are attributable to relationship problems.
Bestselling author and relationship expert Daphna Levy of Life Coaching Masters claims that things don’t have to be this way. Rather, relationships can last and families can stay together happily, providing they have tools to use to do so. “The problem is that there is no ‘Relationship Class’ to show us the way,” says Levy. “Many of our professors, parents and even counselors struggle with matters of the heart. Consequently, youth grow up without the guidance and knowledge required for lasting relationships. The disastrous results are all around us.”
This Valentine’s Day, Levy offers valuable tips to help make it a happier day, both for lonely singles and couples who yearn for the way they used to be.
For Singles: Five Steps to Beating Valentine’s Day Blues
1. Don’t let depression get the best of you this Valentine’s Day. Do something to lift your spirits. Hiking or long walks can cure the blues, and remember to take a good look at the scenery while you walk. No one to hike with? Search the Internet for local hiking groups.
2. Rather than dwell on your singleness, make plans to meet with a good friend – who will also be alone on Lovers’ Day – and go out for a meal, or to a movie; or invite friends and family over to your place and throw a Valentine’s Day potluck.
3. While a little social drinking may be fine, don’t “drown your sorrows” with alcohol. All drugs do is mask the problem while fixing nothing. You numb yourself emotionally and spiritually, then wake up to the very misery you were trying to “forget” but now, with deeper depression and a hangover.
4. Follow the golden rule that giving is more rewarding than receiving. Rather than feeling sorry for yourself, go and help others. It is the best therapy there is! You could spend part of your day helping at a homeless shelter or an animal shelter near you. Helping others could dispel your own sadness and give you a sense of pride and accomplishment.
5. Like many of us, you may have had bad relationships and perhaps realized that you had picked the wrong person. “Picking Wrong” occurs because we disregard red flags early in the relationship. Realize that this can happen to the best of us and, in the future, don’t let love blind you. These are lessons that are seldom taught anywhere, so pick up a copy of my book, “Picking Right: The Single’s Guide to Finding the Right Match“, and do some reading on Valentine’s Day to start getting smarter and make this a great year for relationships!
For Couples: Four Steps to Improving Your Love Life
1. Plan in advance and do something special with your partner on Valentine’s Day – something that both of you will enjoy. Perhaps a nice meal, or a drive and a movie. Focus on good communication about happy times and things you can laugh about. Focus on listening and try to be truly interested in what your partner has to say. You will be amazed how this action alone can lead to other, more romantic follow-up intimacies.
2. If this Valentine’s Day isn’t “special” with flowers, cards, chocolates or gifts, don’t get upset. Instead, work on making every day “Lovers’ Day”. How? Instead of focusing on your partner’s faults, errors or deficiencies, try to find what they do right, and everything you love and appreciate about them. Focus on it, mention it, praise it and tell others about it. Avoid the temptation to say anything negative! Try this for two weeks and let me know the result. You’ll be surprised!
3. Make an agreement between you not to get into discussions or arguments when either one of you is tired, hungry, ill, hormonal or under the influence. A good-night sleep, nutritious food and being well and sober make all the difference in the world and could turn a potential fight into a civilized and constructive dialogue.
4. Help each other. Not only should you help your partner (which you probably do), but let him or her to help you as well. Many people err in not permitting their partner to do things for them or by criticizing them when they do. This could be the death of a relationship! So, make your significant other feel valuable by (a) letting them help and then (b) letting them know how much you appreciate it.
Daphna Levy is an Amazon International Bestselling Author and Relationship Coach with over thirty years of experience. She is a Public Speaker and Community Activist, who has great concern about the growing drug problem among youth and the disintegration of the family unit. She helps clients in her Pasadena and Bakersfield California offices as well as nationwide and internationally, over the Internet. She can be reached through her website https://www.thesecretsofhappilyeverafter.com/contact-daphna.
Source: Life Coaching Masters
