BodiMojo Teen Health Blog – Teenage Nutrition, Fitness, Stress, Relationships & More

Phew. You made it through another Valentine’s Day. Most of us either love it or loathe it.  Now all those sappy-looking wide-eyed stuffed animals, toys and treats are half-price, so snatch ‘em up. Your life might flash before your eyes as shelves of shiny pink and red foil-wrapped chocolates threaten to drown you as you innocently wander down the candy aisle. And if you made it out of the candy aisle alive, there’s still the card aisle right around the corner, ready to blind you with rows and rows overflowing with teddy bear and heart-plastered Hallmarkian tokens of love and appreciation. If you’re lovelorn, you may wonder if you can ever escape, even after Feb. 14 is long over!

So what’s a teen to do when surrounded by reminders of “you gotta have someone to love,” – reminders that happen all year round. There’s a lot of pressure – from the media, from friends and family, and from society in general – to be loving and be loved. But showing your love for others is a unique experience that everyone – teens especially – experience differently.

As someone who’s spent more than a few Valentine’s Days feeling somewhat baffled by the pressure to be romantic, I think it’s important for teens to keep in mind that love  doesn’t necessarily have to be exclusively about your boyfriend, girlfriend, crush, etc. It’s about much more than romantic love, because romantic love is merely one form of the expression of admiration and appreciation we feel for others. It can be whatever you interpret it to be.

If you do have  a special someone in your life, whether it’s a boyfriend or girlfriend — or yes, mom or dad – show that person you care in a way that is authentically you; expressing feelings in your own unique style will allow your true personality and energy to come through, and will seem much more real and personal to the person on the receiving end.

And there’s a bonus benefit: when you show your affection for others – romantic or platonic – you make them happy and making others feel happy will make you feel happy in return. Win win situation. What have you got to lose? Show you care, all year round.

More on Teen Relationships on BodiMojo.  (And see what a guy has to say about it.)