The holiday season can be one of the most exciting times to be in a new
relationship. The season is festive; people are happy; holiday lights are everywhere; there are an abundance of parties to attend; and, there’s a lot to see and do during the holidays. When you start
dating a new girl during the holidays, every day seems more exciting and lovely than normal, and part of this is because the holiday season is a little bit magical. Sure, this makes for great times for a little while, but what happens when January hits and everything becomes a little bit dull? Can your new
relationship survive the January blues?
What Are The January Blues?
The January blues are a reaction to a festive holiday season coming to an end. People feel gloomy and depressed because the holidays have ended and there isn’t another holiday or festive occasion in the near future. In fact, some research indicates that suicide rates are at their highest in January. Sometimes called Seasonal Affective Disorder, it’s a serious condition. With this doom and gloom hanging about, how is a new relationship supposed to survive?
New Relationships
New relationships usually thrive at first – you are both madly in love (or at least lust) with each other and want to see each other all the time. Simply holding hands is enough to set your stomach aflutter! But new relationships can become a bit dull when you are battling the January blues. When all the parties are over, will you still want to see your new girlfriend or was it just nice to have someone to celebrate the holidays with?
Make Sure The Relationship Is Real
The holiday season has a funny effect on people. It makes single people want to partner up because spending the holidays alone can be depressing. And, because there are so many things to do during the holidays, people tend to find it more enjoyable to have someone to do these things with. But when the January blues hit, you might start questioning your new relationship. Before you dump your new girlfriend, find out what you are questioning – was the relationship really just a relationship of convenience for the holidays? Or, is the relationship real and you are just suffering from the January blues?
Keeping Your Relationship Thriving
There are lots of different ways to keep a new relationship going strong after the holidays are over. Here are a few tips:
- Plan a trip – You and your new girlfriend should plan a trip together. Whether it’s a small mini-vacation for a weekend or two weeks in a luxury resort, getting away together in January is a great way to get to know each other better and avoid the most depressing month of the year.
- Get exercising – Now that you’ve gorged yourself on food, it’s time to start being active again. And, there’s no better way to get in shape than with a partner. Get outside and do some cross-country skiing; make a regular habit of going to the swimming pool together; workout at the gym together to motivate each other. You can spend time together and beat the blues by getting active.
- Plan something special – Whether it’s a trip or just a night out at your city’s nicest restaurant, if you plan something special for late in January, you will have something to look forward to as the month progresses.
- Learn something new together – Take up a new hobby together. Have you both been eager to learn a new language? Now’s the time to sign up for a class because it will give you something to do together and it will get you motivated. Plus, you can practice your new language skills on each other when you are in the bedroom!
- Take advantage of all that winter has to offer – Instead of cooping yourselves up inside, get outside and enjoy winter. Buy ice skates and skis and get moving. You will get exercise and the enjoyment of learning or re-learning a new sport together. When couples do things together, they tend to stay together.
- Get color – The winter can be a dark, dreary time for people, so introduce some color into your life to help beat the blues. For example, you and your girlfriend can paint your apartment to add warm, bright colors. Also, you can go shopping together for new clothes. Just add a few pieces of brightly colored clothing into your wardrobes and you will feel the difference. To make this excursion romantic, make sure her clothes are lingerie so that you can both get enjoyment out of it!
- Plan an end of January party – This will give you something to look forward to and by the end of January, all your closest friends will be in the mood for another party too! This is a great way for your friends to meet your new girlfriend’s friends and it will give each of you something to do because you will be busy planning the party!
- Start planning for spring and summer – Looking ahead is a good way for you and your relationship to survive the January blues. Sit down with your new partner and make plans for the spring and summer. What will you do on your summer vacation? Pick a place to visit and then plan for it. Get travel brochures and check out travel websites. This will give you a short term hobby and will help keep your mind focused on what’s coming. Plus, it suggests that there’s longevity in your relationship because you are planning long-term trips together.
If you put your mind to it, there are lots of ways to beat the January blues and make sure your new
relationship survives the dreariest time of the year too. Don’t let your new
relationship succumb to the winter blues – plan a few activities for your and your partner and you can be sure that she’ll be around for next January too!
