What Love Will Look Like This Holiday Season
As we begin preparing for the holiday, many have asked me what love will look like this holiday season. I must admit upon entering into the year 2020 I never thought I would be discussing a plan for a COVID Christmas. However, after careful consideration, I have compiled a few predictions and an analysis as to what love will look like this holiday season.
My Predictions On What Love Will Look Like This Holiday Season
This year, dating and relationships will look like no other year. And, not because dating and relationships have drastically changed, but rather the degrees to which people relate has changed. For instance, every year thousands of people get divorced around the world. However, this year the divorce rate has increased by 34%.
COVID-19 has drastically affected relationships. For married couples or people in a committed relationship, COVID-19 has put great strain on their relationships. And, for singles that were dating pre-COVID, they have had a slew of new challenges meeting quality matches.
All in all, 2020 has left people wondering what will love look like this holiday season. Should people hope for the best or plan for the worse? Hopefully, the following predictions give you some insight as to what to expect.
Spike In Online Dating
According to Match Group, online dating has spiked since the onset of COVID-19. Match Group is the owner of popular dating sites such as: Tinder, Hinge, OKCupid, Plenty of Fish, and Match. The good news if you’re single is you will have more online prospects to choose from. The bad news if you’re single is you will have more online prospects to choose from.
While, online dating and dating apps are great tools to meet matches, online dating and dating apps creates the illusion of constant matches, which can do more harm than good to your dating life. Here’s why.
The Issue With Virtual Dating
Dating apps and online dating are a marketplace that reinforces the idea of dating, but not necessarily long-term or quality connections. It takes more than a glance at an image to know whether you will connect with someone.
When you meet someone in person you get to see a person’s nuances, non-verbal cues or body language. However, when you’re swiping left or right from one profile to another, you might miss out on a quality connection.
Ultimately, online dating and dating apps cannot take the place of face-to-face connections, and feeling what actual chemistry is like. Therefore, if people continue to rely on dating apps and online dating, they may start feeling like a little fish in a big pond.
Poor Relationship Choices
No one could have predicted that 2020 would bring about the worst health pandemic since the Spanish Flu. People across the world have been told the best way to prevent the spread of the virus is to wash your hands, wear a face covering, and social distance.
Albeit these preventative measures will keep us safe, and perhaps free of contracting COVID-19. However, face coverings and social distancing has lead to a slew of other issues for singles or people in unhealthy relationships. For instance:
Urge to Merge
Studies have shown that singles who were dating Pre-COVID have felt the brunt of social distancing and isolation. Before COVID-19 singles were able to connect or socialize. However, since COVID, singles are lonelier than before.
Some singles are finding a sudden urge to merge in order to cure their lonely hearts. Whirlwind relationships used to be a red flag, now it’s the “new normal.” This leads to bad dating habits or unconcious dating.
On the one hand, meeting someone, falling in love and spending the rest of your life with is a wonderful experience. However, you could meet someone cool, move in and find out they are not suited for you.
Settling and Over Compromising
People in long-term committed relationships are feeling an increase in stress since COVID, particularly couples in unhealthy or unhappy relationships. For instance, October is Domestic Violence Awareness month, and studies show that there has been a rise in domestic abuse and assault.
Unlike the people that have chosen divorce over an unhappy marriage, some couples are standing by their man or woman, in spite of being unhappy. Some cannot afford to live on their own, while others find the thought of being alone during the pandemic worse than getting COVID-19.
Increase In Dating Diversity
COVID-19 does not discriminate, and because of this we might see an increase in dating outside of one’s comfort zone. That could look like interracial and intercultural dating, or dating outside of one’s economic or social class.
Economic Stress on Relationships
COVID-19 has caused an economic strain on people’s lives across the world. In normal circumstances, money is one of the greatest stressors on relationships. Throw COVID into the mix and you have a spike in separation and divorce.
Pre-COVID, couples could ignore or avoid discussing money due to busy schedules. However, many are being forced to talk about plans and the future due to the economic uncertainty that COVID brings.
Ultimately, if couples are not prepared to make a plan or sort out their economic issues, they will likely hit a road block, that forces them to deal with things or separate.
Increase In Political Tension
In addition to a COVID Christmas, we are also dealing with an election, whereby tensions will be higher than pre-COVID election holiday seasons. For one reason, many people believe COVID-19 is a political ploy for either party to gain more votes. While other people think it’s completely unrelated, but are dealing with the economic fallout due to the pandemic.
Mask or No Mask: That Is The Question
What are the rules in place if you’re going to gather over the holidays? Some people hate the idea of wearing masks, while others won’t leave home without one. This might lead to further issues if grandma is coming to visit or if you live in a state that limits how many people can gather inside of your home.
Love this holiday season is not all gloom and doom. In fact, this year is an opportunity for love in spite of what the trends and appearances are. If you’re willing to chose love over fear, you’re already on the winning team, if you’re willing to put in the work, to change your perspectives or unhealthy dating and relationship patterns and behaviors. This is where coaching can help.
Let me leave you with this: I can’t say that I enjoy being thrust into a health, political or economic crisis. However, I can say that the not knowing what is going to happen day-to-day has made me more present than I was before.
These are the times to embrace love over fear and make the best out of your situation. Seeing that life can change as can your circumstances, it’s best to live your life fully and in the moment.
Yes, it’s okay to make plans, and to have hopes for the future. However, if you’ve been putting love off, or sacrificing your happiness for an unfulfilled love, my advice is to stop waiting and start living. If tomorrow is not promised, and since no one can really say what’s going to happen one day from the next, why not choose love. After all, without love, what else is there?
