A singles' guide to surviving Valentine's Day

Bittersweet Candies, from Despair, Inc., display the cynical side of Valentine's Day in this Tuesday, Jan. 22, 2008 photo in New York. (AP Photo/Hillary Rhodes)

Does waking up single on Valentine's Day make you want to go back to bed and pull the covers up over your head?

If you're someone whom Cupid has missed with his arrow, today’s sea of red hearts may have you feeling a bit blue.

But Match.com relationship insider Kimberly Moffit has some advice on how a party of one can survive this most-mushy of holidays.

"It can be so disheartening sometimes when we have family and friends who are all getting in this lovey-dovey mood so romantic on Valentine's Day, they're making plans and we're left alone and wondering what we should do," she told CTV's Canada AM.

"I think the most important thing to remember that it’s really a normal feeling to feel a little bit blue on Valentine's Day, especially if you want to be in a relationship and you just haven't found the right one yet."

But the unattached should take heart in the fact they may be single, but they're not alone.

In fact, there may be more singles around today than couples, according to Facebook. A check of the social media site's relationship status updates reveals 40.5 per cent of Facebook users around the world changed their status to single last year, compared to 29.2 per cent who told the website they were in a relationship.

Singles should recognize a lot of other people are out there who don't want to be alone and are looking for love, said Moffit, who's also a psychotherapist.

So use Valentine's Day as an opportunity to get out and meet some people, she said.

Don't get green with envy if your coworker receives a beautiful bouquet of flowers, a singing telegram or a big box of chocolates.

"You don't actually know what her relationship is like, if it's a healthy or happy relationship," said Moffit.

You might be a step ahead of her waiting for the right relationship because they might be broken up by next year, she noted.

What if your family or friends try to fix you up on a blind date?

If you've been proactive and set up a good online dating profile, you will already have opportunities for dates on Valentine's Day other than the match Aunt Millie’s trying to make, she said.

A Match.com survey found 67 per cent of Canadian singles would go on a first date on Valentine's Day.

If you have a crush on someone, it can be tough to get up the courage to ask them out. But don't let the jitters stop you. Use texting and email if you're a little shy, she recommends.

Once you go on the date, don't be distracted by your cellphone. That's the number one turnoff for Canadians, she said.

Taboo topics that should be off the table when you're on the date? Previous relationships, finances and talking about yourself, said Moffit. Instead, she suggests asking lots of questions about your date.

With files from CTV's Marcia MacMillan