Baby it’s cold outside.
But that doesn’t mean you need to be in someone’s hoodie, blanket, or bed to warm yourself up.
Don’t get me wrong, relationships are all well and good, and the desire to be in one at this time of the year makes particular sense. There’s Christmas markets, festive decorating, and plenty of chilly days that you might just want to spend cuddled up inside. However, having a romantic partner is in no way necessary to enjoying any of these things, so here are my thoughts on why staying single should not be a reluctant choice to make this holiday season.
Life is better spent being single than with someone toxic
Now I could be a bit biased, but speaking as someone recently out of a relationship, the positives are certainly outweighing the negatives. Yes, maybe I’m missing out on cute texts and cuddles, but I’m also missing out on someone else’s emotional baggage, and I, for one, am not complaining. Being single means you have more time to invest in yourself and the things you care about, and that investment is going to make you so much happier overall. One way that I do this is by writing positive affirmations, because it reinforces what I believe about myself without having to wait for someone else to say it.
Any “couples activity” can be done without being in a couple
Do you want to go to the Christmas markets and pick out cute gifts? Take your best friend. Do you want to cuddle up on the couch and watch movies all day? Make it a flat-wide event. Do you need an exam season stress-release? Buy a good vibrator. There will always be solutions if you go looking, so stop limiting yourself and start thinking about how you can meet your own needs.
Nothing wrong with craving connection, just don’t let it become everything
There’s a lot to be said for being self-reliant, and the more comfortable you can be on your own, the better; however, it is completely normal to want attention, affection, or affirmation from someone else. Dating apps can be a fun way to get some of this without a major time or energy commitment, but they are certainly not a dependable source of good chat. As small as St Andrews is, St Andrews’ Tinder is even smaller, so if you do decide to venture down this route, I would caution you against setting your hopes too high.
Hot girl winter is a state of mind, not a set of actions
You could be curled up on the couch for the foreseeable future, or racking up sneaky links daily; if it’s making you happy then it’s making you hot. Part of the fun of being single is the increased freedom you have, so don’t compromise that by trying to fit into a box. You can be whatever type of single suits you best, just don’t stop backing yourself, and remember:
You’re really bloody hot.