5 Ways To Handle Valentine's Day When You're Far From Official

There are a lot of standards for what a perfect Valentine's Day should entail.

Unfortunately, it isn't always like the movies.

The cute romantic dates and incredible surprises don't always happen.

I mean, do people really lie on blankets under the stars with partners they're madly in love with?

Dating just isn't as common as it use to be, and unfortunately for Generation-Y, we are lucky if we know the actual statuses of our current relationships.

Valentine's Day can become a bit stressful when you do not know if you and your "other" are just talking, are just friends with benefits or are unknowingly exclusive.

Here are five ways to handle Valentine's Day when you're not official:

1. Do not expect too much.

The worse thing you could do is expect a romantic dinner date and flowers from the person you are just hooking up with.

If the relationship has been strictly about just hooking up without any dates, don't expect one on the Hallmark holiday.

It just isn't going to happen.

Plus, no expectations leads to no disappointments.

2. Make your own plans so you have something to do.

Just because you do not have plans with your hookup does not mean you should be spending the day of love all alone.

Make plans with your single friends and surround yourself with people you love.

Do not sit around and wait for plans to be made with you.

The best thing that could come out of this is that you have two sets of plans, you hang with your friends and then you meet up with your plus one after.

Definitely do not wait around for plans to be made.

Relax and enjoy the day regardless of what happens.

Drinking a bottle of wine all by yourself is encouraged, but not recommended.

Valentine's Day is a day of love, and at the end of the day, self-love is most important.

The only person you will always have by your side is yourself.

There is nothing wrong with spending the day of love with friends and family.

Don't dwell on your hookup or the status of your relationship. Focus on you.

3. Keep things low-key.

If you do decide to make plans with your hookup, keep it very, very low key.

A movie and just ordering a pizza is perfect for a Valentine's Day hookup.

You do not want to jump into serious things like an expensive date and buying each other gifts when you are not in a serious relationship.

Keeping it low-key will keep things from getting super awkward and weird.

If you are not considering getting serious, there is no need to rush into things just for a one made-up holiday.

4. Don't pretend Valentine's Day is not happening.

It may seem like the better option to just act like the day does not exist.

However, by doing that, there is a good chance things will be awkward, and you may end up avoiding each other on that day, which is not a good move.

A "Happy Valentine's Day" text is a good start.

It is casual and completely informal, just like your hook-up status.

5. Don't be afraid to speak up and talk about the topic.

Yes, you may just be hooking up, but bringing up the topic will clear the air. Then, you can both agree on a plan.

Consider how long you have been hooking up for and what exactly you are expecting from the relationship.

Maybe Valentine's Day will be a good time to take your relationship to the next step and become a bit more serious.