The temperature changed, but one thing sure hasn’t: your need for a good cuddle buddy. Not sure what a cuddle buddy is exactly?
Cuddle Buddy (n): A friend or special friend who verbally or tacitly agrees to spoon and provide affection in the form of cuddling which is also referred to as snuggling. Not to be confused with dormcest or Netflix and Chill buddy.
“Cuffing” season is here and securing a winter cuddle buddy has never been so appealing. It’s time to find that special someone to get you through the dreary winter months. Netflix just won’t cut it (Top 21 shows to watch on Netflix).
Think of it as a winter fling, only it doesn’t necessarily have to end when the snow melts. Follow these easy seven tips and you’ll snag your winter cuddle buddy just in time for the first snowfall.
Finding a cuddle buddy is easy
Our cuddle buddy steps are easier than hiding a dog in your dorm (unless you’re at a pet friendly college). The key before you jump into bed with another warm soul is to make sure you feel confident about yourself.
A great way to boost your confidence is to write down all your favorite activities. That’s right, write it!
Then pick one and zoom in. Become active in the activities you love. When you focus on your strengths you project that strength to others. Get ready to replace that pillow with the cutest cuddle buddy on campus.
7 tips for finding your cuddle buddy
1. End the summer fling.
Cuffing season is all about starting fresh and finding that special someone to keep you warm during those cold December nights. If you’re still in contact with your guy from the summer (article about summer flings), you’ll miss any opportunity to link yourself to someone new. Do yourself a favor and ditch the summer boy. Just like your tan line, summer flings must fade.
2. Pick the right buddy.
Unlike the spontaneity of a summer fling, a winter beau should not be random. It is important to pick someone you’re compatible with, a person who is easy and enjoyable to hang out with. Taylor Hamerman, a senior at the University of Michigan, says sharing similar interests is key. “You need to have something in common with your guy. Find someone you can bond with over food or music or movies. If you both like to talk about and do the same things you’ll never get bored.” You won’t be needing any of these overused pick up lines (here’s what girls really think about them).
3. Be open-minded.
It’s important to go into a new relationship with an open mind (or maybe even an open relationship). Be available and open to a new type of relationship and new experiences. Keep your expectations to a minimum and you’ll be happily surprised rather than sorely disappointed later.
4. Take care of yourself.
The cold air makes people want to hibernate. This means less physical activity and a lot more sitting around and eating. Don’t let the weather stop you from looking and feeling your best. “Cold weather is not an excuse to lose all self control,” said Sydney Liss, a senior from the University of Maryland. “Just because you’re wearing layers that hide you, doesn’t mean you should completely let yourself go. It’s true when they say ‘if you look good, you feel good.’ You’re not going to find a guy if you stop taking care of yourself.”
Don’t forget hygiene too! “If he’s my SO he has to smell nice, and he’s gotta be the big spoon cause feeling small and secured is nice,” said Natalia Hanabergh a Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience Psychology Sophomore at the University of Florida.
5. Invest in a Netflix account
According to Allyson Roseman, senior at Indiana University, Netflix is a “life saver” when it comes to winter relationships. The on-demand service has endless TV and movie choices for you and a significant other to enjoy during nights in. It’s also cheaper and easier than trekking to a movie theater.
Get ready to cuddle up and Netflix and Chill. Cuddling can be one of the sweetest ways to connect with your SO. “My girlfriend always nudges my face with hers when she wants me to kiss her and I think it’s so cute,” said Brant Bell a DePaul biology/pre-med sophomore.
Related article: Top 10 Schools for Netflix and Chill
6. Keep it simple.
Don’t over complicate this relationship. Start off slow and progress with caution. Remember, it stays cold for a very long time and you don’t want to mess up a good thing early on. Keep calm and enjoy yourself.
7. Go for it.
Just because the snow disappears, doesn’t mean your relationship has to. A winter relationship can be much more intimate than a hot summer fling. Spending nights in together gives you time to build a relationship and actually get to know this special guy. Don’t let him go so easily. If the chemistry is clearly there and you’re on the same page, make it last through the spring.
“I’m 5′ and my boyfriend is 6′ so he like fits perfectly as a big spoon. Also, just the way he holds me is just with so much love I just never want to leave his side,” said Michelle Chen, a nursing sophomore at the University of Washington. Sometimes you can hold on to that winter romance. There’s nothing more exciting than a potential summer romance.
What it looks like when people spoon with a professional cuddle buddy:
Best 3 Ways to Make Your Dorm Cuddle Buddy Friendly
Once you have your cuddle buddy on lock down, it’s time to set the cuddle environment. First off, blankets and pillows galore. On your bed, on your sofa, on that butterfly chair. Then create an atmosphere of warmth with wall tapestries. Here are a couple of our favorite designs to spark warmth and create a total cuddle zone.
How to Survive the Holidays When You’re Singe AF
Lonely, hormonal and single students nationwide are looking for someone to go cuddle up with on the couch for Thursday Night Football or someone to get tangled in the sheets if only for a night. But there’s a few, the rarest of all, who don’t curl up in a baggy sweater and listen to Drake while the sun goes down (courtesy of Daylight Savings Time). If you’ve managed to swoon someone off their feet, congrats! But, this article isn’t for you.
If you’ve decided to tackle cuffing season without a cuddle buddy, here are a few ways to make it out alive.
1. Cuff your bed
Who else can you depend on to make sure you feel comfortable and safe other than your bed? “It’s like when you hit the bed all your stress melts away. You get stuck in a cocoon of fabric and awesomeness,” Mercyhurst University sophomore Abby Miller said. Grab some blankets and fluffy pillows to catch some Zzzz… You don’t need an SO when you can dream of Tim Riggins staring into your soul under the covers.
2. Netflix in the Chill
Can’t deal with your roommate bringing home another guy when you just want peace and quiet? Take the leap and Netflix-ile her. Start, or binge until finished, a new T.V. show. Will your cuffed friends be able to say they broke their personal record for how many episodes of Netflix watched in a day? Not if they’re spending the season in the sack with someone. Plus, while they panic about the most attractive watching position and getting dressed up to stay inside, you get to relax in comfy sweats as you prop your laptop up on a mound of folded laundry on your bed.
3. Prepare for next season in the gym
If you thought hitting the sack with “bae” is the only way to get hot and bothered this cuffing season, think again. Hitting the gym when you’re single not only keeps your mind off of that mysterious boy who won’t text you back, but also keeps hibernation weight off. Say goodbye to all the snacks you ate binge-watching Friday Night Lights and stay warm by working up a sweat in the a.m. After, you can treat yourself to a Gingerbread Latte from Starbucks–skinny of course. Your spring break bod will be ready in no time. Who needs a boyfriend of girlfriend during cuddle buddy season? Think of all the cuties you’ll meet doing your squats in the gym.
4. Ball out
Single for the holidays, so what? No boyfriend, no girlfriend, no problems. Your bank account won’t suffer and your brain won’t stress out over the perfect gift for the “kind of dating, we’re just friends but a little more, I’m not really sure” person in your life. Also, you don’t have to go out shopping for a gift he probably won’t like anyway. Splurge on yourself or family members. “I buy myself gifts for the holidays or ‘surprise’ myself with gifts,” Capital University junior Jazzlyn Briscoe said. Retail therapy is a great way to survive the holidays when you’re single.
5. Cuff your family
What do Christmas caroling and watching Elf have in common? They require a taking a break from swiping away on Tinder during family time and really spend time with your folks. You can go home to your dog and bundle up like burritos without the constant pinging of 2 a.m. “wyd?” texts distracting you from the ultimate movie night with your dad. While all your friends text the group about drama with their beaus, you’ll be singing along with Will Ferrell. Single life ain’t that bad.
6. Cuff your friends
Call up your best friend and plan a day trip together. You can sit back and talk about the best and worst moments of the cuddle buddy (aka cuffing) season. For freshmen, you can bond with your new friends over these moments. Upperclassmen on the other hand can remember the time you all fell asleep in the front lawn during a case race and woke up to a Snapchat from your crush of you drooling. After graduation, you’re more likely to think back on all the great things you did with your roommates than that one time a cutie took you out for BOGO Chipotle.
7. Cuff your confidence
College is the one place where you can go from being sad and eating a tub of ice cream on your couch to being on you’re a-game in five seconds. Learn to laugh about yourself and your silly mistakes this holiday season when you’re single. Use your break to grab some of your closest friends from high school, check out the cuties at the ice rink and talk about the humiliating encounters you’ve had thus far at school. Own your quirks and use it as a New Year’s resolution inspiration. You may have kissed a toad in 2016, but who needs a prince when you can transform yourself into a princess on your own? #Flawless
8. Take Time to Meditate
No one likes a Single Scrooge during the holidays. Brush up on some people skills this year and learn how to stay cool, calm and collected. You never have time for yourself if you always hideaway to FaceTime your partner. Reflect on yourself with some yoga or meditation. “I recently started getting into mindfulness training,” adult Community College of Allegheny County student Jill Carter said. “With all that’s going on, this has been extremely helpful because now I can focus on the good things in my life instead of the bad.” Meditating helps with the stress fall semester finals and also your nagging mother who you can’t avoid when you go home for the holidays. Your mom will thank you when you take a breath and count to 10 instead of almost taking her head off while the two of you bake cookies for the Christmas party.
9. Pick up a new hobby
You know you scroll through Pinterest daily trying to find the perfect DIY gift. This time, why not actually do it? Most of the winter season is spent stay inside and away from the cold when you’re single, so print out the directions for cute hot chocolate snowmen and get your crafting scissors ready. Your friends will love them. “My friends and I are doing Secret Santa this year, and I plan on making my Secret Santa a photo frame with a picture of all of us in it. It will be hard, but I think she will appreciate it,” adult Community College of Allegheny County student Beth Blackhall said. Plus when you’re done, you can all sit on the couch and watch your favorite holiday movie together while you sip, dip and munch on homemade Pinterest snacks out of Pinterest-inspired containers that your friends will beg you to make again.
10. Cuff yourself
Know yourself and know your worth. Sure, there are holiday cuddle buddy couples that survive the season, but when the final fire is out, so is the person you’ve been “thing-ing” with. “A main aspect that is important in relationships is self-care. We have tendency to focus so much on our partner that we forget to take care of ourselves,” Capital University senior Brandon Briscoe said. The most important relationship you should be working on is the one with yourself. Do the things you love and make the most of the holidays even if you’re single.
*Update December 5, 2016 to include what to do if you can’t find a cuddle buddy as well as additional cuddle buddy tips and our favorite cuddle buddy products.
