With September upon us and the leaves soon to turn brown, ‘cuffing season’ is about to be in full swing. The term given to the popular dating trend which finds singles looking to partner up in the colder months has been growing in popularity over the last few years. But what is the psychological reason behind our winter relationship desires?
In collaboration with sex and relationship experts, Lovehoney has revealed exactly what cuffing season entails and the psychological truth behind our winter relationship desires.
‘Cuffing season’ defined by sex & relationship expert
Sexpert Annabelle Knight states ‘Cuffing season rolls around every year, always around the same time – when the clocks go back, the nights draw in and the weather outside gets colder. During this time people, usually, those who wouldn’t normally be looking to get into a relationship, find someone and commit to them. These relationships are usually short-term and come to an end once springtime rolls around the following year.’
The psychology behind our desires for a relationship in the winter
Registered BPS psychologist Lilly Sabir describes a pressure during this time of year to be in a relationship for the holidays, which is likely driven by social pressures.
It is well known from psychology and human behaviour that the different seasons can impact our moods. ‘The lack of sunlight, colder temperatures and the tendency to hibernate can lead us to want more human contact as we are not outside triggering our Vitamin D levels which can lead to a dip in our moods’, states Lilly.
As temperatures improve, the need for a partner naturally decreases. Lilly adds ‘we can feed our own hormonal serotonin and dopamine oxytocin levels by being out in the sun and meeting up with others, regulating our own moods better through external environmental stimuli’.
76% of Brits admit to wanting to be ‘cuffed’ during winter
Lovehoney’s survey revealed that three in four Brits (76%) admit to preferring to be in a relationship during the colder months of the year. Results showed the younger you are the happier you are to be single throughout winter, as 34% of 18-24 year olds opposed to 21% of 45-54 prefer to embrace the single life during winter.
It will come as no surprise that Valentine’s Day is the time most Brits want to be ‘cuffed’ with 77% preferring to be in a relationship over being single. Christmas is the second most popular time when British singles look for a partner to cosy up with on the sofa, watching holiday films and exchanging gifts.
The top 5 cuffing season capitals of the UK
|
Ranking |
City |
% of individuals who desire a relationship in winter |
|
1 |
Sheffield |
85% |
|
2 |
Edinburgh |
84% |
|
3 |
Norwich |
83% |
|
4 |
Bristol |
82% |
|
5 |
Glasgow |
78% |
Sheffield was revealed as the city with the most citizens seeking winter romances as just 15% said they would like to be single during the colder months – meaning nearly 9 in 10 people want to be coupled up. Edinburgh follows closely behind with 84% of residents agreeing.
On the other hand, the citizens of Leeds are happy to be single and free this winter as the survey showed 32% prefer to be single during winter, closely followed by Manchester and Brighton. As large party cities, residents may have less time to date and explore relationships due to all the fun activities surrounding them.
You can see the full article here: https://www.lovehoney.co.uk/blog/brits-and-relationships-cuffing-season.html