Get Connected This Holiday Season

Got the Christmas blues? Now’s the time to reassess your relationships, says Charlotte Haigh MacNeil

- Charlotte Haigh MacNeil

There’s no busier time than the festive season. But whether you’re newly single, unhappy in your relationship or don’t have family or friends living close by, it can also be a lonely time. There are different forms of loneliness. You could have a fantastic partner and a loving family but miss seeing friends. Or maybe you’re out every night, but lack the intimacy of a close relationship. We’ve identified three key types of loneliness, so read on to see if you’re affected – and how you can beat the blues this Christmas.

YOU’RE SICK OF BEING SINGLE IF:

• you’ve been out of a relationship for more than six months
• you have great friends but sometimes feel ‘empty’ after a night out
• you crave physical contact

You may have a brilliant group of friends and close family you love. But nothing’s quite the same as having an intimate relationship. It’s natural to want a partner, says relationship counsellor Andrew G Marshall. ‘We’re social animals and, while it’s a good idea to be single for a few months after a relationship ends, being single for longer than six months may indicate an unhealthy pattern.