As we hurtle towards Christmas at break-neck speed, I’d like to invite you to slow down for a moment and to connect with your feelings. What’s going on inside? Does this time of year stir particular emotions in you? Do you feel joy and hope, or do you feel a lack of love and a […]

The festive season can be a period of increased consumerism, but there are plenty of climate-positive and sustainable ways you can enjoy it too. It’s widely considered to be a romantic time of year, ideal for meeting new people and maybe even finding a potential spouse. Here are some environmentally friendly ideas to inspire your dates this Christmas and New Year.

Christmas is rushing towards us at high speed, and this is a time of year when it can feel particularly tough to be single. While other people are (we imagine) revelling in the joys of family festivities and cosy romantic moments (not helped by those Christmas movies – thanks, Love, Actually), singles may be feeling extra lonely and sad that life hasn’t (yet) worked out how they’d hoped.

Advent. You’re here again. It won’t be long before houses are covered in lights. Trees lit. Nativity scenes set up. Choir concerts. Ugly jumper parties. Holly and ivy. Red and green ribbons. Frazzled shoppers exhaling sighs of relief as they finally pull out of the mall traffic. H Samuel, Pandora, Ernest Jones and your local jeweller finalising their ad space—much to the chagrin of singles everywhere. Christmas marketing and hype—not to mention a few ill-timed but well-meaning lines turned jabs from church-goers, friends or family about being single during the holidays, and you’ve got me wanting to run for white-chocolate peppermint bark.

“I don’t really know what to say here”.

Here at Christian Connection we see a lot of members’ profiles, and know just how common it can be to struggle with what to say. Starting your profile with something like the line above can mean you lose a great opportunity to connect, and someone perfect for you could just skim by.

Here are some of the Christian Connection team’s tips and suggestions for easy ways to write an interesting and engaging profile.

Making contact or meeting in person can be daunting for those who are shy. And it’s a common reason for not trying online dating. So is it possible to overcome these feelings – and if so, how do you do it?

So, you’ve been on a few dates with someone, or have started a relationship, and it’s going well – there’s good chemistry, you seem to get along, and you’re feeling hopeful that they’re a keeper. But how can you tell if someone has real potential as a partner?

“What I was looking for back then isn’t what I’m looking for now”, a 40-something coaching client said recently as she updated me on her dating progress. So true, I thought. As we mature, our wants, needs, hopes and dreams change.