Breakup season is upon us.

Although the sight of couples everywhere gives the illusion that relationships are solid, for juniors, seniors and freshman in college they’re about to be over.

As college preparation closes in, adulthood does too. Early November is the time for testing, turning in/writing applications and settling in to dorms. Young adults are ready to spread their wings and grow from previous partners as thriving individuals. The idea of being far away at different colleges or (even scarier) going to the same college is frightening. To carry a piece of high school, an often times traumatizing period of life, into your new chapter is troubling.

So why get into relationships in the first place? Well, it has a lot to do with our internal hibernation clock. As the weather gets colder, our bodies began storing fat and looking for a mate to settle down with. The idea of nesting is very present in wintertime couples, as there aren’t many outside activities to do. Consistency becomes more attractive when we instinctively go out less.

This need for a significant other in the colder months (rather than warm, when travel and spontaneity are much more appealing) makes breakups so much harder.. hence why I’m even writing an article about it. It’s SUCH an epidemic. Fear and isolation grow when change ensues, but that’s not reason to breakup. Think about that weird fear in your tummy before a breakup; it’s mostly caused by fear of rejection when your change as a human is finalized. Allow yourself to be vulnerable. Change is necessary for growth, sure, but that doesn’t mean your significant other won’t be accepting. Don’t give up when times get tough, grow together instead.

Of course, that doesn’t take away from unhealthy relationships which are oh so common in our age bracket but that’s for another time. Overall, make sure you have good reason to be in a relationship and it’s the right time for you both; or else things could go very wrong. The concept of getting together or breaking up based on the seasons is so primal when one thinks about it, and shouldn’t break up a healthy relationship or force someone to stay in an unhealthy one.

Resources:

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/cuffing-season-signs-new-relationship-love-or-cuffing_uk_59e0aed2e4b04d1d51810a43

http://www.loveisrespect.org/for-someone-else/is-my-relationship-healthy-quiz/