Choose love

Student Communications Ambassador Kelly Jones writes about different ways we can spread the love this Valentine's Day.

Whether you’re single, taken or it’s complicated, we can all afford to choose a little more love this Valentine's Day.

Living in a time where we’re a bit more isolated from each other means that it can be harder to really connect with the people we love. That’s why this Valentine’s Day is the perfect time to rekindle our connections with friends, families and significant others.

The following are some creative ways to tell your loved ones that you’re thinking of them and celebrate this holiday together.

Bake some sweet treats

Cupcakes, biscuits or anything edible! Baking can be a great way to treat your friends, family and loved ones and gives you a chance to get creative in the kitchen. Having fun with decorating your baking can be fun too! Think pink icing, hearts or simply some icing sugar!

A virtual date

We all know that doing video calls with loved ones is a great way to keep in touch but why not try a virtual date or theme for your calls for Valentine’s Day. A cocktail or mocktail night with friends, a themed quiz night with the family or an at home dinner date. Why not try making little question cards to ask each other? Get to know each other better and have a good old chat.

Write a love letter

Need to tell someone that they mean the world to you but you can’t quite find the words? Write it down in a letter. A letter is a great personalised way of telling someone they mean a lot to you and it’s always nice to receive post!

Also if you fancy it, you could write a letter to someone who may be feeling lonely or isolated. The organisation Love For Our Elders is collecting for their ‘Letter to an Elder Day’ on 26 February which you can get involved in.

Play some cooperative games with friends online

When we’re far away from our friends it can be difficult to connect with each other, but there are some really great, fun options out there to play. One of my favourites is Scribbl.io which is a pictionary type drawing game that you can do from afar, you just need to type your guesses in the chat box! This can be a great addition to a video call and it’s free. You can also try other classic options like chess, draughts, Uno, Minesweeper - there's almost always a free co-op version online to try with friends and family!

Pass it on

Pass on the love this Valentine’s Day by helping the charity ‘Choose Love’ with their mission. Choose Love allows for you to buy an item from their online shop for someone who needs it, they mainly focus on helping refugees. They also have an option to send a Valentine’s e-card. It’s such a great way of giving to those that need it most this Valentine’s and choosing love!

Five low cost and thoughtful options to celebrate this Valentine’s Day. I hope that you’ve found something that has caught your eye and that you’d like to try, tag @bathspauni on social media if you end up doing any of these suggestions. Remember to show yourself love and kindness above all else, you can’t fill from an empty cup!

Until next time.

Kelly
Student Communications Ambassador