December used to be ‘tis the season to get jolly’ but now as adults, it’s ‘tis the season to get cuffing’ and if you’re confused about what cuffing is or are single and dread cuffing season, well hop into this sled my little sexy elves and let Aunt Sassy take you on an informative and reassuring ride where every stop is all about getting you through this season!

What is cuffing season?

Everyone single gets lonely from time to time–while watching a cute rom-com or third wheeling with friends or during just another existential crisis–but the feeling usually passes or gets buried in the back of your mind. But you know when winter rolls around and it’s cold and despite all the sweaters and hot chai, you start to crave a partner? Someone to just cuddle with, someone to keep you warm? Boom. You’ve hit cuffing season. And then add to that December, the global holiday season where every Christmas film is a sappy romcom? Yeah, it’s hard to not want a partner in cuffing season. And it’s called a season because once February comes in and the cold fades, couples of the cuffing season usually go their separate ways, obviously after Valentine's Day cause who wants to spend that dreaded day single? 

Now in the West, the cuffing season is typically exacerbated by the holiday season where families reunite to celebrate Thanksgiving and Christmas. Singles in the West feel more compelled to bring a partner home. However, in India, the holiday season isn’t as much of a problem as wedding season is! Nothing can make you feel more single than attending weddings! 

Now that you know what cuffing season is, feel free to pause and analyze if you’re feeling its effects. Spoiler alert: if you’re reading this article, you probably are. Cause it’s hard not to, right? Everywhere you look, from weddings to social media to Netflix holiday films, everyone’s celebrating being coupled up. Social media is filled with reels celebrating romantic love–of people doing something special for their partners during the Christmas season, couples cuddling in bed and watching movies together, and people getting married. It’s enough to make anyone feel lonely, so lonely that you just want someone for the season. So, like most people, you probably turn to the apps, right? 

Swiper, how much more swiping?!

Almost everybody has a love-hate relationship with dating apps. You love the rush as you match with someone or multiple someone, the sizzling conversations at first but then fatigue sets in. More often than not it’s because of the sheer number of choices a dating app presents you with. Don’t like this guy cause he spells ‘you’ as ‘u’? Okay here’s another. Don’t like this girl because she has tattoos? No problem, what about this one? It’s almost like when you get into bed excited to watch a film but then there are so many to choose from on Netflix. Yup, this phenomenon exists in the dating app world too. It’s called option paralysis. When people are presented with too many choices, they have a harder time arriving at a decision and more often than not, end up choosing nothing. 

Dating apps have a seemingly endless supply of single people around you that it can be too overwhelming to pick the right person. That doesn’t mean you never swipe right on anyone, of course you do and you match with people too! But how invested are you in this person when you know that there are countless others just a swipe away? 

And even when you do match with someone who excites you there is always the possibility of bland, uninspiring conversations and the dreaded ghosting. And when you’ve been through this process multiple times on multiple dating apps, it is easy to feel burnt out and fatigued. It’s hard enough to create a dating profile and put yourself out there to be judged for your appearance and your profile. Add to that the pressures of cuffing season and you’re going to feel even more bogged down. 

So what do you do? Do you just give up and adopt cats so you can die a childless cat person? Well, of course not! 

Take a much-deserved break

The cuffing season is tough. Which is all the more reason for you to go easy on yourself. If the site of dating apps make you want to hurl yourself off of something, don’t go on them. Take a break. From the cuffing season, from social media, from dating apps. You deserve it! 

Instead, focus on making yourself happy. Do activities and hobbies that give you joy. Whether it’s watching your favorite tv show, catching up with your best friends, cooking, cycling, running, or even just lying in bed, not moving…whatever it is, as long as it puts a smile on your face and makes you feel better about yourself it is worth pursuing. I don’t mean to sound like your mom but she is right to yell at you for being on your phone too much. Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Snapchat, all these apps can be too much and sometimes what you really need to do is just look up from your phone and engage with the tangible world around you.

Thinking of dating again?

Take as much time as you need for yourself. Reset and rejuvenate and do a quick check-in with yourself. Are you still craving a partner? Someone to share the cold nights with? If so, that’s perfectly alright! But I’d like to suggest a different way of going about finding a partner. Instead of the apps, how about meeting someone the old-fashioned way? No, not your parents setting you up! Something a lot more simple. If there’s a singles event in your city, why not give that a go? Or join a club or even start a club seeking out people who are passionate about the same things you are! Or hey, go to a bar and maybe even spot someone from across the room and try to chat them up? Or if any of these are too anxiety-inducing, ask a friend to set you up with someone they know and trust? Aunt Sassy’s point is that there are many less draining ways to meet someone than the apps. 

Now while you’re on the prowl again, there’s one more crucial thing to do to keep you safe from any dating fatigue. Listen close, 'cause Aunt Sassy is about to spill…SET REALISTIC EXPECTATIONS! Look, if you go into dating with the expectation that you’re going to meet your Prince Charming instantly and fall in love just like in the movies, you’re setting yourself up for failure and not giving your poor prospects a fair chance. Life isn’t like the movies and romance certainly isn’t. When you approach your date, do well to remember that you are meeting a person–a flawed, vulnerable, human being just like you are. And just like you, your date is probably as anxious and may not come off great on the first go. So go slow, give people chances (not so many that you ignore red flags, of course!), and remember it’s not about how many people you go on dates with, it’s about the kind of people you pick! And the time you choose to spend with them! 

Single all the way

So you tried finding someone during cuffing season but you just haven’t been able to. Or you would like to find someone but can’t bring yourself to go through the arduous search. And here you are, single while friends get married and random internet strangers give their partners extravagant Christmas presents like a book advent calendar. But here’s the thing: you don’t have to be coupled up during cuffing season. It may feel like it but that’s external pressure that you can also choose to ignore. Just because society dictates something as the precedent doesn’t mean it has to be! 

What’s more, you can spend the season getting to know yourself better rather than some stranger. Take yourself out on a solo date: this could be trying a restaurant you’ve been meaning to try all year or going to a concert/show on your own or spending a day at the spa or a pottery workshop! And treat yourself to little joys: buy yourself flowers just because you can, indulge in the sweet dish you love so much, get the things that have been sitting in your shopping cart for so long. And of course, treat yourself to big joys as well like indulging in some delicious solo play with our massagers that are designed to give you immense pleasure through all seasons of life. 

Cuffing season can be tough but you can choose to make it one of the best seasons of your life, so go on and have some fun cause ‘tis the season to be jolly fa-la-la-la-la…

Embrace solo play this season with our range of sex toys and vibrator, perfect for enhancing pleasure and relaxation. Pair them with water-based lube for a seamless experience. Rediscover joy and celebrate yourself!

Also, check out our blogs on Understanding slow sex and what is a kink and its types to improve your knowledge of sexual health.