If the pandemic has taught us anything, it has taught us what is important in life and that is our love relationships. We’re are all old hands now at lockdown love, so this year let’s mark this remarkable time and the resilience that love for each other has shown. Here Psychotherapist Noel McDermott offers some alternative Valentine’s Day ideas.
Psychotherapist Noel McDermott comments:
“If your relationship has made it through to this point it’s extra important to celebrate Valentines 2021. It’s truly special and shows that if you have made it through these stressful times, your relationship is resilient and has longevity. You can celebrate your love for each other and be confident it can survive what life might throw at it in the future. This will be the last Valentines in lockdown and odd as it may seem, we urge you not to waste the moment and treasure that important other who has travelled this journey with you.”
Alternative Valentine’s Day Ideas
So, for Valentines this year have a uniquely COVID celebration of your love for your most important partner in crime! Here’s a few thoughts for the special day and night:
If your relationship started post pandemic make an album of the first meeting, moving in etc
Decide upon a Valentines themed menu together and cook together, or do a dish each
Create a bespoke playlist of meaningful songs
Dig out your wedding video or album and remind yourself of that special day
Exercise that day together, go somewhere that means something to you both
Play a game of Mr and Mrs
Set up your own cinema experience at home with all the trimmings!
Maybe include others in your planning and thinking and ask close friends what they plan to do. We can’t do the romantic meal in the midst of lots of other couples doing the same this year, but we can still publicly celebrate our love in a social way by sharing ideas, and maybe add some couples into your celebration via online experiences.
Noel McDermott comments: “Contrary to the many dystopian films that exist showing a breakdown in our relationships when we were faced with an existential threat, we have it seems rediscovered our love for each other, and if relationships have broken down it was because maybe they were moving in that direction anyway. What has been striking about this experience is the change to dating and new relationships skills developed during the time or social distancing rules. All dating sites report exponential growth and it’s clear we are still very much in love with being in love!”
Noel McDermott is a Psychotherapist with over 25 years’ experience in health, social care, and education. He is the founder and CEO of three organisations, Psychotherapy and Consultancy Ltd, Sober Help Ltd and Mental HealthWorks Ltd.
