Influencer Tinx Admits Valentine's Day Can Feel Like A 'failed Test,' But Shares A 'great Way To Spin It' (exclusive)

The influencer and podcast host wants to celebrate all love, from her friends to her cats

Udo Salters Photography/Getty 

NEED TO KNOW

• Tinx knows how her followers feel about Valentine's Day and hopes to "reframe" how people view the holiday
• "Really rooting yourself in the love that you do have in your life. The love from your friends, your family, your pets, your cats," she shares with PEOPLE
• Tinx is partnering with Jinx, which is launching its first-ever cat food at Walmart on Feb. 15

Tinx wants to "reframe" Valentine’s Day, switching the focus from romantic relationships to “a celebration of any love you want."

“Valentine's Day, at its worst, feels like a failed test where if you're not in a relationship, you fail," the influencer tells PEOPLE. "It can feel super isolating and make people feel bad about themselves."

Rather than making it a day of celebration for those in relationships and a day of sadness for those single, Tinx encourages people to get together with those they love — no matter the dynamic.

“I love always seeing the Galentine’s Day parties that my followers do for each other, or little traditions that they have," she says. "Really rooting yourself in the love that you do have in your life. The love from your friends, your family, your pets, your cats... that’s a really great way to spin it."

Nina Westervelt/WWD via Getty

Tinx, whose real name is Christina Najjar, is known online for her pop culture commentary and lifestyle content. Dubbed “TikTok’s big sister,” she is the host of the podcast and Sirius XM call-in radio show It’s Me Tinx.

The 35-year-old, who is "looking for love" herself, says reframing the holiday has helped her a lot, and she now “thinks of all of February as like a love month.” 

“Enjoy the sweet parts of it, the candy, the Galentines, the romantic comedies and leave the rest of it," she says. "Don't allow it to be a checkpoint for you, and then it won't feel as much of a test.”

For those who look to Tinx for dating advice and are unsure how to meet potential partners in real life, she says to “make sure to have open energy."

“I always think of that Love Actually line where it's like ‘love is actually all around,’ and we're all very down on the phone," she says. "I wanna meet someone out in the world, so I always make sure to have my phone away. If I'm going to a dinner party, really trying to meet new people and having open energy. It really goes a lot farther than you'd think.” 

The Hotter in the Hamptons author says she “truly thinks” a lot of people are “seeking real connection," and the way to do that “is to be present and open.” 

Jinx

“Try and find other people who want to connect. I know it can feel like the state of dating is really scary right now, but there are lots of people who wanna connect," she tells PEOPLE. "It's just about keeping your eyes open and making sure that you are open to connecting."

While Tinx is single, she isn't experiencing a lack of love, thanks to her friends, family and her two cats, Miso and Ceviche. Tinx recently announced a partnership with Jinx, which is launching its first-ever cat food line available exclusively at Walmart on Feb. 15.