Cuffing Season Season Has Officially Arrived & Yep, It’s A Real Thing
If you’re single and find yourself feeling more vulnerable or needy as the cooler months approach, you’re not alone.
As the dreary weather kicks in and more people spend time indoors, it turns out the need for a relationship heats up for some Aussie singles: new dating app Hello Tiger surveyed a bunch of single Aussies and 42% said their biggest influence for seeking a partner is the idea of having a warm body to snuggle up beside, with 54% saying they feel lonelier in the cooler months.
Enter, cuffing season…
What is Cuffing Season?
Look, it’s not necessarily as kinky as it sounds. Coined in 2010, cuffing season describes people who feel the urge to be tied down during winter, with the cold weather and prolonged indoor time causing people to become more willing to be cuffed.
Suddenly it all makes sense why men seem more emotionally and physically available in the colder months…
Do people actually do this during winter?!
In the survey by Hello Tiger, 44% of singles said they would be likely to cuff someone in 2022. Maybe they’re cold, maybe they’re bored, maybe they just need company indoors: whatever it is, Oodies and electric blankets aren’t enough this winter. It’s time to cuff, baby.
“Human connection is a huge facet of life, so it’s only natural that when our social calendars take a dive we turn to dating as a means to fill this void,” says relationship expert, Megan Luscombe. “The desire to be close to another, to cuff someone to you physically and emotionally during the bleaker months of the year, is a completely natural response.”
Should I be cuffing?
If your feelings of loneliness can’t be fixed by binge-watching all of Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, or if you’re so cold that even a Nutella-themed Oodie can’t warm you up, maybe it’s time to get cuffing.
“Finding a significant other to invest your time and energy into over winter can quite frankly provide a boost of much needed intimacy and ramp up our dosage of the happy hormone, serotonin,” Megan says.
As always, communicate with your cuffing partner and be clear about your intentions. Are you looking for love or just a warm body? Are you open to pursuing a stronger connection or just want someone to Netflix and chill with? Cuffing season can be fun, but it doesn’t mean it’s for everyone.
Even if being cuffed down doesn’t lead you to the love of your life, at the very least you may get another wild dating story to entertain your coupled-up friends with. And look, you can always emerge from cuffing into hot girl summer like it’s no big deal.