Why every woman, single or taken, should buy themselves a bunch of flowers today.

In case you haven’t checked your calendar, today is the 14th February aka Wednesday aka the day after Pancake day. Oh yes. And Valentine’s Day.

All around you, people are getting delivered flowers and chocolates. Maybe they’re sharing the romantic breakfast they had with their partner this morning or the candlelit dinner they’ve got planned tonight. And if you’re not in the vicinity of other people, your news feed is probably clogged up with pictures of it instead.

It’s not just single people who are looking at all these gifts and gestures and feeling maybe a teeeny bit jealous. No, there are also plenty in relationships (usually long term) too who won’t be receiving even so much as a card on this big cheesy love fest of a day.

(We’re fine about it FYI. Just FINE, truly.)

Listen: Does your relationship pass the load of bread test? Post continues after audio.

For anyone feeling that way, today is the perfect day to take a leaf (literally) out of Susan Carland’s book.

The academic and speaker shared a picture on Instagram of a bunch of flowers she had bought herself. “Love from Me” she wrote over the picture.

The responses she got to such a seemingly harmless picture surprised her.

“I had a lot of comments on the picture of the flowers I posted that kind of surprised me so I wanted to address
here,” she said in a video later posted to her Instagram story.

She said countless messages she’d received about the picture were about how her husband, The Project co-host Waleed Aly, should be buying her the flowers.

“The thing is, ladies, if you have the money and it will make you happy and you want it, get it for yourself,” she said.

Had my first high-tech skin experience. Even involved a wand on my face that beeped like R2D2, a peel involving acid, and confronting information about my face (I’m oily AND dehydrated AND pigmenty AND wrinkly…..be near, Allah). But after all this help, i expect tomorrow I’ll wake up looking like Audrey Hepburn / with X-Men powers. Fingers crossed for both! ????????@meskinandbody

A post shared by Susan Carland (@susancarland) on Jul 26, 2017 at 11:59pm PDT

“If you want something and you can get it yourself, get it for yourself. Because otherwise what happens is I sit at home and get miserable because my husband didn’t get flowers for me and he doesn’t even know I wanted them. Who wins from that?

“Not me because I didn’t get any flowers and not my husband, who is in the doghouse and doesn’t even know why. So pro tip – just get it for yourself.”

Yes, it's always nice when you're given flowers as a gift. But Carland is right - why wait around and get upset about something you have control over? And even better, the flowers are a reminder of your success and independence and good taste, because by GOSH those flowers are lovely.

So ladies (and men), single or taken, if it's looking like your vase will remain empty tonight, buy yourself a beautiful bunch of flowers today.

You deserve it.