Single at Christmas? Use your time wisely heading into 2025...

For many singles it’s a relief that Christmas can be spent how you’d like to, maybe with family or friends or simply some much needed time on your own. That’s a brilliant approach to handling this time of year on your own and after my divorce as a very young woman it was exactly how I felt - this was a time just to give myself the best gift of time!

There is always a big ‘but’ though and that’s for the many singles who were desperate to find love over the last year and didn’t find someone special to spend the holidays with.

There can be a lot of tricky emotions involved in this situation. However, you can manage feelings of loneliness or perhaps manage that little devil on your shoulder telling you that you should have tried harder or that maybe you should have settled for that person who really wasn’t top-notch. And it’s also a time to open up your mind to embracing the best things about being single at this time of year.

Here are some top tips to help boost how you feel at this festive time of year:

*Challenge any misguided feelings that all those couples are loved up and cosy at Christmas. This is the time of year when more couples start falling apart and seek to separate in the New Year.

*Keep those promises to spoil yourself that you forgotten about over the year – stream that box set you’ve been putting off, treat yourself to the foods you like, take those extra long bubble baths that you never have time for, etc. Hangout in your pyjamas all day, and catch up on calls to friends that you haven’t spoken to for a while.

*Thinking of friends - get in touch with those who might be on their own or who might long have a meet up in between doing things with their partner or family. Keep it simple and suggest meeting for walks, coffees, drinks – the little things that can bring lots of happiness.

*Not every single has on their own is feeling total despair so if you’re feeling pretty confident check out the various singles events that happen around Christmas through the New Year. Go online and see what’s available near you because even if you don’t meet ‘the one’ go out just to have some fun.

*Don’t forget to get on Wingman app - with potentially more time on your hands you can check out who’s around.

*Think about 2025 and doing what I always recommend: widen your circle of opportunity. If you go to the same places you always see the same faces. So maybe your favourite bar, café or restaurant should be given a rest and you should check out some new places and maybe see a new face that appeals to you.

*You can also get outside of your comfort zone to increase chances of meeting someone new. You can sign up for the new gym that has opened locally or an evening class that is near your place of work. These are great things to do anyway and can provide you with new opportunities.

Happy Christmas, happy New Year and happy dating, Pam x

Sign up now with your wingman by downloading the Wingman app in the App store and Google Play store. Available in the US and UK for IOS and Android devices.

Follow Dr Pam on Twitter and Instagram @drpamspurr and at drpam.co.uk

If there are any little ones in your life, Dr Pam’s first children’s story book is out now: http://tinyurl.com/36y3xr6n

Photo by Brigitte Tohm

Photo by Nicole Michalou