Healthy Living by Kirstie_McIntosh

Is Cupid on strike? This February everyone seems to be single. As the red hearts and hideously oversized “love bears” go up in shop windows you can literally see passer-by’s shoulders sag. Everyone is getting more and more despondent about this forthcoming Valentine’s.

Here is my proposal if you are feeling blue about V. Day: find someone, be it hot guy / hot girl / top friend and make a plan. Make a back-up plan too, just in case the first one fails and if you’re feeling ultra neurotic, make a back-up, back-up plan.

If you need some pointers on how to find said hot guy / hot girl then I’ve got a few secret tips up my sleeve:

Buy some food

Although eating your bodyweight in ice-cream may sound appealing, when I say buy some food, the intention is to scout for that lucky someone. When you go shopping make a bit of extra effort with your appearance – ultra-violet lighting is not flattering to the most flawless of beauties. When you’re shopping be aware of who is around you. If you catch the eye of a guy or a girl you like smile and hold eye contact with them. If they seem interested check out the contents of their basket; you can tell an awful lot about someone by their weekly shop.

Ditch the perfume

Although smelling like flowers, honey and all things fruity is great, perfume masks your own natural scent. Smell is key to deciding who you like and who you don’t like, so drop the perfume for a few days and see if it makes a difference to your love life.  If you really hate the thought of going without a dab or two, you could always use the body wash version of your perfume. It’s far more subtle.

Stare

We’ve all seen it in the films, that Lady and the Tramp moment when two eyes lock and love is bound to ensue. Unlike most things in cartoons, the love locked stare actually seems to have some truth to it. A psychologist from New York, Professor Arthur Arun, studied the dynamics of love. He found that staring into one another’s eyes has an incredibly powerful effect on people’s romantic relationships.  Professor Arun conducted a study where he asked complete strangers to reveal intimate details about their lives to each other. He then asked the pair to stare into each other’s eyes for four minutes. The couples revealed after the study that they felt a strong bond with the other participant – so much so that two even got married.

If these dating tricks don’t work or you don’t want to get entangled in yet another dating game, then listen to the girls from Sex and the City: "If you are single there is always one thing you should take out with you on a Saturday night... your friends". Spend Valentine’s Day with your friends and you’re guaranteed to have a top night anyway. Who needs the drama?