As December arrives and the run up to Christmas hits you in the face like a reprimand, you are constantly being reminded that you are single! Unless you have a significant other in your life, this time of year can be very hard to bear.
As the anticipation builds waiting now for the new John Lewis Advert to appear you find yourself hoping that it won’t be a romantic one filled with hearts! flowers! and madly in love snow people!
Christmas can highlight your single status to such an extent that you feel like the only person in the whole wide world that is not in a conventional relationship. Happy couples revel in parading their love and devotion with Facebook posts and public displays of affection under the mistletoe!
As Bing Crosby and Chris Rea follow you everywhere you go it can fill your head with self- doubt and criticism. Even if you were loving single life a week a go Christmas can have you reaching for the gin bottle BUT only if you let it. (although a stiff Gin can cure all ills)
Christmas can also be a great time to be single but it’s easy to forget that if we listen to the hype. The trick is to embrace it and welcome it with open arms and a bottomless glass of wine.
Get involved! accept every invitation, remember how you felt as a child at Christmas and be that child. Deck the house! Bake the mince pies! Go Carol singing! Buy a Christmas Jumper! Get out and mingle.
You can’t meet potential partners slumped in your armchair watching Home Alone for the umpteenth time. When you are out take a chance to speak to strangers, smile and enjoy yourself. You won’t encourage romance if you stand in the corner surrounded by your girlfriends looking like the grinch!
If you do behave badly (the office party is usually the culprit here) don’t agonise over it for days afterwards. Always remember that while you may have drunk one too many Babycham’s lowering your inhibitions causing you to twerk in your bosses groin and slip off to the ladies with James from Accounts the chances are so did everyone else. Allow the memories to fade along with your hangover.
At the end of the day how you keep Christmas is a very personal thing but spending time with your family and keeping the traditions going is an important way to remind ourselves what really matters. Being happy and healthy and having those we care about close by makes us feel part of the bigger picture. If you have some love to spare then be kind where you can, donate to a Charity but mostly be kind to yourself.
I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas and don’t do anything I wouldn’t do which lets be honest give you plenty of scope …
See you on the other side with love Gaynor x
Ps If you are looking for a stocking filler then my raunchy Autobiography Sex and The Signposts may fit the bill you can find it on Amazon.
