With Valentine’s Day around the corner, you may be wondering what you can do to make your loved one feel special given all you have been through together. Now is a good time to embrace the pleasurable aspects of your relationship and focus on positivity. If you need help thinking of some gift and date ideas, then consider the following:

Sober Gift Ideas

• A simple box of chocolates
• Flowers: This could be a single rose, a beautiful bouquet, or a vase arrangement.
• Something handmade: Coming up with a gift from the heart has unparalleled gratitude for the receiver.
• Ask for a wish list: Sometimes practicality outweighs the element of surprise. Never be ashamed to ask someone what they want.
• A photo album: Revisit some of your fondest memories as a couple with chosen photos from your past.
• Write your partner a poem: Engaging in a creative act like writing your loved one a poem can help you recognize the strength in your bond.
• Make your partner a playlist: There is no therapy quite like music therapy to help heal and spread love in a relationship.

These are just a few gift ideas to make the most of your substance-free Valentine’s Day. Exchanging tokens of your love is a great way to get in the holiday spirit, but it is also so important to spend quality time with one another. For that activity, we have come up with a couple of date ideas.

Sober Date Ideas

• A movie night together: Let your partner decide on what you watch if they’re willing. Pop some popcorn or get some movie theater-style candy.
• Enjoy an outdoor activity together: Try ice skating, skiing, or snowboarding. Spending time together in nature is a great way to reconnect.
• Make a meal together: Decide on a meal you both love and share the cooking responsibilities. Making a meal together can give you both a sense of fulfillment while also filling you up once you’ve eaten your delicious meal together.
• Set up a spa in the home: Physical touch is so important and something each of us is lacking during this global pandemic. Set up a sensual spa date with your partner to get re-acquainted with each other and your more physical side of the relationship. You may find it to be a relaxing activity to enjoy together.
• Engage in a creative activity together like artwork for the house or play instruments together: Just like making a creative gift, engaging in a creative activity together can take your mind to a place of deeper connection.

This is a shortlist of activities to do together, but it is a starting point for some ideas. Engaging in some special activity together for Valentine’s Day is a wonderful way to reconnect with the love you feel for one another.

The Language of Love

It may be helpful to explore which of the five love “languages” your partner gravitates toward, whether it’s gifts, spending time together, words of affirmation, service, or physical touch. If they tend to appreciate exchanging gifts, then go that route. However, if quality time takes precedence, you may want to consider setting time aside for a date. Communicating with your partner on their preferences for the holiday is a must. Coming back to love after an experience with addiction can be a challenging task. It is important to remember the support that both partners have provided throughout the relationship. Even if think that Valentine’s Day is a Hallmark holiday, it never hurts to set aside time to express your appreciation for your partner.

Question Your Love (For Fun)

Another activity I encourage trying out is asking each other love questions — you can Google the internet for some ideas. The right questions can highlight the deepest parts of a bond between two people and can be great fun. There are always new pieces of information we can learn about our partners and Valentine’s Day is a great time to engage in some fun-filled questioning.

Don’t Get in a Rut

Addiction and co-occurring mental illness can be a damper on any relationship. Choosing to recover from these obstacles can foster a new sense of love in a relationship. Whether you are celebrating Valentine’s Day during or after hardship, allow yourself to take a break from grieving and make time to start embracing. It is easy to get stuck in a negative rut, which is why it is important to sometimes specifically designate a date to spread love. Valentine’s Day is not the day to bring up or address major relationship issues, but rather embrace the simpler side of the relationship and express appreciation for one another. You can figure out all the hard stuff another day.

Enjoy Valentine’s Day with your partner by taking advantage of some of these date and gift ideas. If you are in recovery, then you’ve likely navigated a lot of obstacles in your relationship. Now is the time to embrace the change you’ve made in your life and focus on the positive. At Valiant Living, we help with relationship intimacy after dealing with addiction through expert advice from our trained professionals. We focus not only on your individual recovery but also on the recovery of your relationship. You will learn how to manage any co-occurring mental illnesses and communicate better with your partner after spending time with our team. Our facility, located in the breathtaking mountains of Denver, Colorado, can help you appreciate yourself and your loved ones more. Valentine’s Day is a great opportunity to celebrate your progress. If you are looking for the support we can offer you, do not hesitate to reach out at 720-669-1285.