According to Finder’s research, people spend, on average, a little over £35 for Valentine’s Day presents.
For most couples, Valentine’s Day is all about buying red roses, pampering products, and a huge box of chocolates. While it might not seem like a lot of money, at first, the gift is only one aspect of the celebrations. It’s not uncommon to book a table at a fancy restaurant in town to celebrate the day of love.
Some couples even choose to turn the day into a celebratory weekend by organising a getaway trip. In other words, it’s fair to say that we all spend a lot more than just £35 on our Valentine’s Day preparations.
But there is something strangely off about the day.
Indeed, celebrating love should happen every day when you’re in a relationship. We can’t afford to save all our affection and care for this one day in the year. Unfortunately, when you go to your local grocery shop at the beginning of February, you can’t help but wonder whether the only way to show love is to buy a bunch of roses for your partner.
The commercialization of Valentine’s Day can make us forget that love gestures don’t need to break the bank to be meaningful and heartfelt.
Nurse her back to health
Winter is the bug season. Cold, flu, and other unpleasant viruses are especially active during the winter season because germs love to spend time indoors. It takes only one person that doesn’t wash their hands for you or your partner to catch a nasty cold.
Blocked nose, feverish shivers, and feeling sluggish all day, no doubt your girlfriend is coming down with a winter illness. But now’s the best occasion to show you care by nursing her back to health.
You can help to keep the house sanitised by bringing some hand gel bottles, so she doesn’t have to worry about using tissues and spreading germs at home. Make sure to pile her pantry with all the vitamin supplements she needs.
You can even help her get her daily dose of minerals and vitamins with freshly made juices and smoothies. They’re perfect to fuel the body and fight the flu! You can also prepare a yummy zinc-rich dinner for her, involving red meat or even oysters because those are ideal to fight pathogens.
Don’t ignore her when she’s feeling down
Everybody has bad days, and it’s something that can affect your girlfriend too from time to time. Whether it’s an unpleasant conflict at work or family issues, stress is everywhere. But don’t let her deal with it alone.
You can take a look at this site for inspiration on how to make her feel better. Ultimately, you only need to listen to your intuition for guidance. Making her laugh can ease the situation already.
Sometimes just talking about everything and anything is enough to lift her mood and help untangled dark thoughts from her mind. You don’t need to be a superhero and erase stress from her life. But showing you care about her can do wonders. Besides, you might want to keep an eye on her diet.
When people go through a lot of stress, they tend to fall into bad habits, such as junk food or skipping meals. Her body needs healthy fuel to promote emotional resilience!
Don’t be afraid of saying nice things
When was the last time you said “I love you” to her? It’s easy for couples to fall into a comfortable routine.
When you’ve been together for a long time, you tend to assume that some things don’t need to be said anymore. Of course, you love her, you think. Otherwise, why would you spend time together? Granted, there’s some logic in your thinking. But it doesn’t hurt to say nice things from time to time.
After all, you can’t build a healthy relationship on mock insults and unsaid truths – even though it’s a lot of fun to tease her from time to time. But reminding her why you are with her and what she means to you is important. Tell her she’s your best friend because if your relationship is healthy, she’s more than a lover, she’s a friend as well.
Remind her that you believe in her and that you support her in her dreams. Soft words can bring your love to the next level.
Do something romantic without afterthoughts
How often do we do something for our partner without expecting anything in exchange? You can do something sweet and romantic with no other goal than to put a smile on her face.
Massaging her shoulders after a long day is always a lovely gesture, especially if you let her relax at her pace. Let her know that she doesn’t need to reciprocate the gesture or to put in her sexy lingerie for the evening. Giving for the sake of giving is an essential part of romantic gestures.
If she’s not a fan of massages, why not brush her hair? You don’t need to be an expert hairstylist to keep her hair smooth. And, if your girlfriend has long hair, you can be sure that she will appreciate the gesture. Long hair can be a pain to maintain!
Treat her as an equal
Gender clichés are still very present in everyday life. Social expectations don’t help as they can describe how a woman or a man should behave. But showing your love begins with ignoring those gender roles.
You can let her know that your relationship is built on equality and respect, which means that you don’t need to think of her as a girl but as the person you love.
Opening up to her about your emotions and letting her see your vulnerabilities is as much a sign that you are comfortable in your relationship as it is a sign of love.
You trust her; therefore, you don’t feel like you have to wear a mask or hide things from her. It’s precisely what being equals means.
Showing you love each other doesn’t require a chocolate box or a bunch of red roses. Of course, nothing stops you from surprising your partner with a sweet gift from time to time. But you don’t need to break the bank to show your affection.
Love gestures don’t cost anything, and they can mean the world to your partner.
