Do you hate Valentine’s day? Let’s be practical here. Just like Christmas Day, Valentine’s Day is well, just another day. Get on with your day and forget this over-hyped, over-priced festival of love. However, it might be easier said then done if you are single.

Coming from an author of eight romantic comedy novels this may seem a little pessimistic, but come on, we all know if you love somebody the fact you have to show it on one particular day, probably means you’re either newly in love or it gives you an excuse to moan at your partner for not living up to the expectations of the hype.

However, if you are not as blasé as me, and the fact that February 14th makes you feel that being single really is the end of the world, here are some tips to help you try and get through it. Hopefully without singing ‘All by Myself’  Bridget Jones style to the cat, whilst downing a bottle of Chardonnay.

1. Phone in love sick

There is nothing worse than seeing Alice in Accounts’ smug faced drooling over her recent delivery of a thousand red roses. Or Polly in Procurement, fingering a huge heart adorned card that despite everyone knowing it’s from Sean in Sales, whom she’s secretly been bonking since the Christmas party, feigns loudly she must have a secret admirer.

If you are lucky enough to be able to work from home, then do it. And, if you can’t, don’t get yourself in trouble by admitting your love blues. A bad stomach will do for a day off. And this day of rest and relaxation can prepare said stomach for the onset of butterflies that will so obviously be flying your way soon. There we go, a bit of positivity to work on!

2. Turn off the outside world

And, I mean turn everything off. No radio, no TV, don’t even open a supplement from Sunday’s newspaper, as it’ll be full of trite and expensive His and Hers ideas for Valentine’s Day. As for social media, make it a first and as hard as it may seem, just don’t look at it. No Facebook, Twitter or Instagram, or you may fall for all the faux outpourings of love that will no doubt be on every timeline, dateline, yellow line, wherever you may turn. It will do you good anyway. All of us are far too addicted to following people who seemingly have perfect lives, when they are without doubt as messed up and unhappy as the majority of us.

3. Exercise

Better than anything to up your mood is to exercise. No going outside the door now, or even putting your favourite fitness DVD on. Too much temptation to put the TV on that way. No, run around the garden or up and down the stairs. Do some push ups on a low coffee table or maybe lift some baked bean cans above your head fifty times. See, all these new free ways of enjoying yourself on your own! This will undoubtedly lift your mood and to add another positive, will start getting your body ready for when Mr or Miss Right comes a calling.

4. Make plans

How often do you ever sit without social media, TV, radio or perish the thought your mobile switched off when you’re not sleeping? Probably never. Enjoy the peace and give your mind space enough to start making some plans for the rest of the year. After all it is only February. Maybe you have been thinking of joining a gym, or even going on a dating site. Are there any weekend escapes you’ve fancied going on with a mate? Where do you fancy going on holiday this year? List them all and when February 15 eventually arrives, start putting some of these plans in to action. Being single doesn’t have to be doom and gloom, in fact it is liberating. When you find peace with yourself, actually having nobody who needs you or for you to answer to, is actually quite a wonderful thing.

5. Eat chocolate

On February 13, you should have purchased as much chocolate as you could physically fit into your trolley. Chocolate bars, chocolate oranges, even a bar of Caramac, that you probably wouldn’t even look at twice normally. And if you feel yourself moving nearer to the TV control or like sliding the power button on your phone, then just shove some of this gorgeous brown or white comforting foodstuff in to your mouth and smile.

There are a lot worse things than being single on Valentine’s day, but if after reading the above you still don’t agree, you have every right to hate Valentine’s day. I won’t judge you for reaching for that Chardonnay and belting out ‘All by Myself’ to the cat.