![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/jg8k9kpTURBXy80YTEwNTQ5ZWY1OTVkMGI5MWU2YmQ2ZTEyMjZjOGY3Yi5qcGeSlQMAUM0CZM0BWJMFzQMWzQGugaEwBQ-Copy-696x378.jpg\" "\\"Cuddling")
As the clock ticks towards midnight and the year comes to an end, the feeling of renewal and the promise of what\u2019s to come is palpable. <\/p>\n
Many people make New Year\u2019s resolutions to start fresh in many areas of their lives, and falling in love is often high on the list. When it comes to relationships, are you nice or naughty?<\/p>\n
Your past dates are the only people who can really answer this. As a new year demands reflection on the past as well as looking forward to the future, pause to consider your less-than-ideal memories.\u00a0<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Did you push someone away, miss out on a romantic opportunity, or were you perhaps overly critical of others? As we reflect back, let\u2019s open the door to a new chapter of love and explore the possibilities that lie ahead in the realm of relationships. (Also read: Relationship stress? Check out 10 ways to rescue and revive your bond).<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you find yourself single this holiday season, reluctant to do anything except stay home and indulge in various vices, take heart: it\u2019s a time of year like any other. It\u2019s just been so co-opted by capitalism that we\u2019re bombarded with holiday images and expectations from early January through the New Year.\u00a0<\/p>\n
With media messages that the holidays are for couples and families, it\u2019s easy to feel lonely and left out if you\u2019re single. But instead of falling down that dark tunnel, try something unexpected\u2014look for love during the holidays, on your own terms,\u201d says Clinton Power, online relationship counsellor and marriage therapist in his recent Instagram post.<\/p>\n
Tips for finding love in New Year<\/strong><\/p>\n 1. Stop the train of negativity<\/strong><\/p>\n You have up to 68,000 thoughts a day, and most of these are repetitious. If you\u2019re constantly thinking, \u201cI\u2019m terrible and I don\u2019t deserve love,\u201d this will become your reality. When you catch yourself thinking negative thoughts, notice them, and then move them out of your head. Do this enough and the negative thoughts will stop coming, or, if they do, they\u2019ll carry little weight and won\u2019t drag you down.<\/p>\n 2. Reach out to old friends<\/strong><\/p>\n If you\u2019ve lost touch with someone you care about, reach out to them at this time of year. And while you\u2019re at it, ask your old friends to introduce you to their new crew. You might meet a new love through an old friend. Unlike an online dating service, your old friends can actually tell if it\u2019s a promising fit.<\/p>\n 3. Accept invitations and look your best<\/strong><\/p>\n To find love when it seems like everyone else is shopping or watching television, you have to stretch your comfort zone. Making the effort to get dressed up and go to a holiday dinner will lift your spirits, once you\u2019re there. Looking your best, for no other reason except you want to, is a kind of gift for your body, which works hard for you every day.<\/p>\n 4. Heal the old wounds<\/strong><\/p>\n This point seems driven into us everywhere we go, but it\u2019s still true: you can\u2019t go forward with strength and clarity if you don\u2019t start from a place of calm. If you\u2019re still feeling old wounds from previous relationships, or even previous holiday seasons that went horribly wrong, it\u2019s hard to start a new relationship with a clear mind and an open heart.<\/p>\n 5. Practice little rituals<\/strong><\/p>\n Little rituals repeated daily will help to let go of past hurts. Some people find it helpful to keep a house shrine, others take the same walk every morning, and some of us just have a chair we like to sit in and drink tea. Rituals are steadying, and over a period of time, they have the power to ground your loose wires.<\/p>\n 6. Take risks<\/strong><\/p>\n Possibly the hardest thing to do when you\u2019re feeling low, taking an emotional (or even a physical) risk can get you out of your head and into your sensory perceptions, which is where life gets more interesting. It takes some courage to confront our habits, but it could be a way to change your relationship to the holiday season as well as find a new love in your life.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n