The sight of a box of sickly heart-shaped chocolates on sale in the supermarket almost as soon as New Year celebrations are over is enough to send many people into a cold sweat and turn rational human beings to a jabbering wreck. 

Over the next few weeks the chocolates multiply and a whole host of fluffy pink and red heart shaped items invade our supermarkets, high streets and even internet shops.

Loved up couples are forced to spend a small fortune on useless presents that they do not need or want as symbols of their undying love for each other – even if they know that their precious gifts will be cluttering up the local charity shops by the end of March. 

They are then expected to organise the most romantic, memorable and intimate night of their lives (until next year) on the same night as the rest of the country – and consequently pay over the odds to sit in a crowded restaurant and wait two hours for someone else’s order to arrive.

For single people there are only two choices; hide under the duvet with a giant tub of chocolate ice-cream watching romantic films and sobbing into a gin and tonic until it is safe to go outside again or desperately hunt down a date for the night.

For singletons in search of a Valentine there is no shortage of options – speed dating, singles bars dating websites, or as a last resort drunkenly ringing an ex in hopes of reconciliation.   The inevitable outcome of these February romances is that come March the initial feeling of relief that you are not alone on Valentine’s day will be replaced by a deep resentment of your new partner’s irritating habits as you realise you have nothing in common and yearn for your single days.

What was once an ancient Greek celebration of love and fertility has been hijacked by modern society as just another way to make people feel inadequate about their lives.  For the good of your mental health say no to the commercial hype and spend this Sunday doing something you want with someone you want to be with, even if that is your pet cat.