Life coach’s sound advice for Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day, also dubbed the annual festival of love, is usually much-anticipated by people around the world who believe in the idea of love.

The day allows romantic partners to treat each other in the most memorable and affectionate way possible. This could mean buying a bouquet of flowers, planning a special date, or simply buying a box of delectable chocolates.

While everyone, especially the younger generation would wish to be spoilt on 14 February, local life coach and expert in youth work, Natasha Bekkie ten Krooden advised against being pressured into a relationship for the sake of not being lonely on Valentine’s Day.

“I think Valentine’s Day is important because it came from the Saint Valentine’s era when people were forbidden to love, marriages were banned and priests were killed for marrying people,” she said, delving into the darker side of ancient history.

However, Natasha felt that in these modern times, Valentine’s Day should not only be limited to romantic love; it should be a day to show love to those who mean the most to you – whether it be your parents, your friends or yourself.

“In this month, most people might feel ready to be in a relationship or yearn to be in one, but if you are entering into in a relationship for the sake of having a Valentine’s Day date, that is a very unhealthy thing to do because being in a romantic relationship isn’t the only form of love,” Natasha explained.

She advised that one could celebrate Valentine’s Day with friends (have party to celebrate love), one’s parent(s) or by showing kindness to a stranger because after all, those are the things that stimulate the dopamine hormone (the so-called messenger substance or neurotransmitter that conveys signals between neurons in the brain).

Natasha reminded love-seekers that love begins at home, and one can also celebrate the idea of being single or the appreciation of life.

While some couples will look to rekindle the spark in their relationships, the West Rand love coach provided suggestions beyond the material stuff. “My number-one tip as a Christian is to keep it Godly – be honest and keep things open with your partner,” she said.

“For instance, partners that were in the wrong, need to admit that they were wrong, and the other partner in the relationship needs to respect that. Couples need to discuss their issues and decide on the way forward together,” she said.

Most importantly, Natasha urged partners to communicate more. “Many other challenges stem from miscommunication. That gives rise to misunderstandings, and because tiny things are misunderstood and/ or misinterpreted, the couple starts drifting apart,” she concluded.