If the holidays have you feeling gloomy and anxious because you’re the only one not sipping on cocoa in front of the fire with your boo, here are three things you can do to get out of your holiday funk:

1) Go out and Mingle (Homebodies and introverts, trust me, there’s some advice in here for you, too.)

The holiday season is surely not the only time to go out and mingle, but it may increase your chances of meeting potential dates (men worthy enough of your time and conversation). I’m sure that you may be tired of the monotonous nightlife scene: Same people, same lines from the same man with the same too-tight suit and fingerwaves. However, there is a pretty good chance that your dating options may be more extensive during the holiday season. If you’re still hesitant about mingling, go out with your single and most social friend (If she’s on the fence, bribe her with spiked eggnog). One of my best dating seasons fell around the holiday season for this very specific reason. Although some of the people I met were only in town for a very limited amount of time, it was still a great way for me to meet new people and spark new friendships. I was pleasantly surprised at the amount of new faces that frequented a venue that was typically filled with the same people.

If going out is not your thing, despite it being a great opportunity to meet new people, bring people to you. Throw a holiday party with some of your closest girlfriends and have them bring their single male friends. This will take the pressure of off being in a crowd of unfamiliar faces and may even serve as a confidence booster because you already know half of the people at the party. This will help you in your quest to meet a potential suitor for that New Year’s Eve party you’ve been wanting to attend.

“The chances that Prince Charming will show up under your Christmas tree is slim-to-none nowadays, so why not be more proactive in meeting him?”

2) Ask Him Out.

Between the ugly sweater parties, your company’s holiday gala and your best friend’s annual Thanksgiving potluck, there will be plenty of events that will be date-appropriate. No options? Make some. Nowadays, social networks and technology have allowed people to muster up a lot more courage.

No longer does asking someone out on a date have to be a face-to-face task. We are no longer in a day and age where women can’t initiate the first sign of interest. With Facebook, texting, Twitter and all the other technological advances, women who are more on the shy side can easily gather the courage to ask someone out. Why not ask your “friend-crush” to meet you for happy hour?

3) Work on a Personal Goal.

So you didn’t end up with a date for the Thanksgiving Soirée like you planned. Instead of perseverating (Yes, perseverating is a word.) on the dateless predicament in which you find yourself, shift and focus on something that you have wanted to do outside of finding a date. Tired of greasing up and shoving your unwanted fat in your Spanx? Start a new eating plan and obtain a gym membership.  Tired of seeing your personal and professional goals not coming into fruition? Create a vision board and focus on the things you can control.

“Sometimes our focus to find someone can overpower our self-goals. It’s so easy to get sidetracked, that we forget about the things that are truly important to us. Whatever the plan may be, make it a plan for yourself by focusing on the goals you can  control.”

#DateWisely

All articles shared on http://www.muffiebradshaw.com are original pieces written by Muffie Bradshaw unless otherwise stated. In other words, don’t repost without the props!