Practice a positive outlook

The darker months can have a big effect on our mood and state of mind – especially if you’ve been feeling down on dating. This is a great time to take stock and give your thought life an overhaul. Have you been thinking negatively about love? If so, while you’re in the process of changing your circumstances, why not work on changing your mindset too? It might not be easy, but it’s important to note the narratives you tell yourself – they can often become self-fulfilling prophecies. If they’re unhelpful, swap them in for positive, uplifting, affirming and edifying ones – it’ll put a spring in your step!

Analyse your approach

One size doesn’t fit all with some dating advice, like: be more proactive, be more laid back, be more selective, widen your search, be more open, have stronger boundaries. It can be contradictory or confusing if not applied to individual tendencies. So, take some time to consider your own personal dating style. Consider whether you lean toward more pronounced behaviours that might not be serving you very well. Think of this as a kind of quarterly review. How things have been going? What changes might you need to make? How do you think you could make them? If it helps, you could write it down and form a strategy with action points for moving forward.

Update your profile

This is traditionally the time of year when we get rid of things we no longer need or want and give everything a good clean. If you’ve been dating online for some time, you may not have given your profile a spring clean in a while. Things could have changed, whether it be your practical circumstances, or your views and preferences. Take a look and see whether you’re still happy with what’s on there. It’s your opening introduction to prospective dates. So if it isn’t fully representative of you, then you may be missing out on connecting with someone who’s just right for you.

Let go

Are you holding onto something and in turn it’s holding you back? If you’ve been let down, through a breakup, or set your heart on someone and it didn’t work out, you might have unresolved feelings of anger and hurt. Not just toward the person, but toward God. If you’ve been pursuing someone for a long time and you’re not getting anywhere, it may be the time to accept that the door is closed. But if it is, know that somewhere, another door – or window – will open.

As spring arrives in the next few weeks, it brings with it a sense of hope. May you be inspired and excited by the prospect of what lies ahead, and make this season one that adds new life to your dating journey.