It’s Valentine’s month. We’re officially here.

And you’re single. And probably stressed.

So, every week in February I’ll be coming to you with my Brazen Valentine’s Day Survival Guide.

What’s this survival guide, you ask?

I’ll be dropping:

• Historical knowledge so you can bring truth to the Hallmark madness.

• Info on the best Galentine’s day events and celebration ideas.

• A hot dating tip every week to maximize your dating efforts this month.

Week One:

Hang on to your parkas! Here’s three things about the origins of Valentine’s Day that shook me to my core, which should make you feel better about being single around this time.

1. It’s really about babies and booze.

   We celebrate Valentine’s Day on February 14th because originally from Feb. 13 to 15, the Romans celebrated the feast of Lupercalia. This included a party where they sacrificed animals and whipped women with hides. Apparently, slapping a lady with a hide = fertility. And women would line up around the block for it. The concept of Valentine’s Day as we know it was invented by the wild editorializing of Chaucer and Shakespeare. Go figure.

2. Matchmaking… it’s not all it’s cracked up to be.

   The party included a matchmaking lottery. Men would draw names of women from a jar, then that couple would shack up for the duration of the festival — or longer, if the match was right. Womp womp.

3. St. Valentine has more important things to do.

   Saint Valentine is the patron saint of beekeepers, fainting, plague and epilepsy. And we’ve all seen how important bees are to the environment. Fainting sorta sucks. Epilepsy is serious business. And we all know that plague is a drag.

Soooo the guy is busy helping other people on Vday. In what universe does he have time to care about this arbitrary February 14th holiday stress?

Ok that last one…. Reaching? Maybe.

But let’s be real, in February, we need all the help we can get. Because you don’t deserve to feel any more comparison stress.

Lily’s Hot Valentine’s Day Survival Tip:

Take a swipe-cation for the next two weeks. Unless an awesome date randomly falls into your lap, take the pressure off yourself completely for two weeks by getting off dating apps and giving yourself some well-deserved slack.

Honestly, will anything good come from a mediocre first date around this pressure packed time? Probs not. So, take the Valentine’s power back and do your own thing for two whole dating-free weeks.

Don’t worry, I’ll be standing beside you every step of the way this month with best practices to pick back up dating with even more power and confidence after Valentine’s Day. So you can beat the Vday scaries and actually make progress in your dating life.

If you’re interested in how to stop spinning your wheels and get your dating life together, I’ve got big news… We just launched Date Brazen Membership! With monthly one-on-one coaching, Dating Profile Labs, community events and group coaching, we’ll have you more joyful and in-control of the dating game.

You’re a bright, golden starfish, my friend. I believe in you and am here for you.

P.S.  Also, we have not one, but TWO Swipe with Intention events coming up this month. Find out more here.