With Valentine’s day coming up, more and more people are posting photos of their dates and how perfect they seemingly are. However, those who are single on Feb. 14 have dubbed it “Single Awareness Day,” not a time for two but a time for one. It is the day for one to gleefully declare to the world about the emptiness of his or her relationship status while treating themselves to whatever their heart and/or stomach desires.

Examples of Single Awareness Day activities include but are not limited to: getting drunk, playing video games all night, and eating an entire pizza over a kitchen sink. The pros are that video games are fun and pizza is delicious. The cons however, are vast, especially with getting drunk.

The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism states that drinking too much over a single occasion or a long period of time can interfere with several parts of the body, such as the brain, heart, liver, and pancreas. Drinking excessively can also increase your chances of getting certain cancers in the breasts, esophagus, liver, mouth, and throat. It’s also important to mention that when a person gets drunk, that person might endure a hangover. In this experience, a person will likely suffer anxiety, headaches, vertigo, fatigue, loss of appetite, and nausea for up to 24 hours.
Some people might think having an entire pizza for one is a loving treat. It’s not. A whole circle of pizza has over 2000 calories, for about eight slices to be exact. And that’s with only cheese. The lesson here is that if a food is meant for a party, it was never meant for a person.

As for playing videos games or just neglecting sleep in general, there’s a strong case to be made against the plans, especially if one has work the following day. The effects of sleep deprivation by the Division of Sleep Medicine at Harvard Medical School lists people who sleep insufficiently are subjecting themselves to a higher risk of developing diabetes, heart disease, and obesity. Isn’t it also fascinating that all three of these can lead to a shorter life expectancy?

It is important to consider the lasting effects of how time is spent. The actions that make someone feel good for a day, may not have the same effect later on. Feeling insecure and weary from binge eating and drinking may have the potential to keep a person from being social. Plus, it’s not very attractive.

So really, a better way to carry out Feb. 14 is to practice self-care. If all of your friends are busy with their dates, take some time alone. Go on a hike somewhere far and take photos of all the rare sights. Even if going outside isn’t an option, there are plenty of activities to do inside.

Instead of drinking to forget, why not write to reflect? Writing helps a person gain more closure from a bad memory than pretending it never happened in the first place. Rather than eating a meal meant to feed five people, eat a meal fit for one by trying out a new recipe. Or exercise the mind by reading a book or studying for class.
So even if you’re single on Feb. 14, spend it by preparing to mingle. Do activities that don’t have lasting consequences; if it’s called Single Awareness Day, a person should be doing beneficial acts rather than destroying their health and well-being.