Storrs Singles Singled Out

Students who think they're the only people without a significant other today can take comfort in the fact that, according to cnnmoney.com, more than 70 percent of the 14,300 people who live in Storrs are single - the fourth-highest percentage in the country. And on Singles' Awareness Day (appropriately abbreviated S.A.D.), where happy couples are expected to celebrate their love for each other and singles expected to despair in their single-ness, cheer up! For singles, it can be just another Thursday and there are plenty of legal ways to get that happy feeling, even without a significant other.

Exercising

"Exercise in general increases self-esteem, which is a great way to plug it, but there's always the endorphins, too," said Amy Pumerantz, the nutrition coordinator with Student Health Services.

Students who like to exercise with friends can try Bodywise classes to exercise in groups or can go to the gym with friends.

But going to the gym once in a blue moon won't be enough to give you the happy feeling of endorphins all the time.

"Exercise shouldn't be a one-time-only thing," Pumerantz said. She added that recent research is saying that exercise shouldn't just be cardio or weight training - both should be incorporated to maximize its benefits.

Eating "good" foods

While MedicineNet.com lists spicy food such as chili peppers and chocolate as foods that can boost your endorphins, Pumerantz said that there is no "magical food."

However, the spicy food thing is spot-on. Capsaicin, a component in chili peppers, releases B-endorphins, Pumerantz said. But chocolate isn't quite the same.

"We plug dark chocolate, in moderation, because of its antioxidant quality, which is better for heart health," Pumerantz said. "It doesn't mean eating a whole bag every day, but it's where chocolate got its great reputation."

As for the good feelings that come with chocolate, Pumerantz isn't so sure.

We're usually craving those comfort foods when our moods are low and we're looking for increased mood from that, so initially there will be that added benefit, but unfortunately it will keep our stress hormones elevated, which is what we don't want.

If you're craving chocolate, indulge yourself, but in moderation.

"If we deprive ourselves, we tend to then crave that food," Pumerantz said.

However, she cautioned that students shouldn't be turning to food for emotional comfort.

Don't be stressed

Don't be stressed on Valentine's Day if you don't have a significant other to share the day with.

Use Valentine's Day to de-stress. Health Education Coordinator Joleen Nevers suggested activities such as yoga and added that Health Education's Web site offers free relaxation mp3s to download onto your computer or music player.

However, being single on Feb. 14 doesn't necessarily mean that you're any more stressed than anyone else. "I don't think people who aren't in a relationship are any more stressed than people who are in a couple," Nevers said.

"Being single isn't necessarily a bad thing," Nevers said. "Some people are in a relationship and they're fine and then there are other people who aren't in a relationship and don't want to be in a relationship and they're fine with it. I think we need to rethink the expectations that we have for people and how we see things versus what they really want."

But if you're still stressed, laughing is also a helpful way to build endorphins and give you the love high you're looking for. Nevers said that laughter is a natural stress reliever because it releases endorphins.

Nevers suggested playing childhood games such as duck-duck-goose and hide-and-go-seek with friends or board games like pictionary for a good laugh.

"A lot of the time laughter and fun come out of that and it's not necessarily a couples-related issue," she said.

Be Your Own Valentine

"In a relationship, there's generally the expectation of indulgence on Valentine's Day - you get me flowers, chocolates, a card with nice messages, et cetera," said Barry Schreier, the director of counseling and mental health services. "We advise students to be their own Valentine and to indulge themselves, maybe get themselves flowers or candy.

Indulging yourself can also include taking a night off from studying to watch funny movies with friends - and that can also help with the laughing thing.

Classic gut-busters such as "Caddyshack" or "Animal House" as well as "The Wedding Singer," any of the "Austin Powers" trilogy or "The 40-Year-Old Virgin" can bring the funny for hours.

Start a tradition with friends by watching any of these.

If you're all "Love stinks" today, "Fatal Attraction" may be more your speed. And if you are miserable enough to want to watch Glenn Close lose it and boil a bunny, do it with other miserable friends. Don't be miserable alone - misery likes miserable company.

Also, as Schreier said, just because you don't have a significant other, doesn't mean you don't have significant others - friends can be great resources if you're in a mood today. He advised students not to get isolated - "you're not the only one," he said.

Contact Aly Shea at

Alison.Shea@UConn.edu.