Hibernation is a way for animals to save energy during times of extreme stress. During hibernation, an animal's core temperature, respiration rate, and metabolic rate all drop. Many creatures, not just animals, choose to hibernate during the winter months. But for us humans,s, it may signal things warming up in the dating department! ,It's a fact that as the weather gets colder, snuggling up becomes more appealing. Many shivering singles, inching for warmth, look for the safety and security of a "hibernation relationship" at this time. But what is it exactly? Cuddle up, as we deep dive into the latest relationship trend!
What are hibernation relationships?
When a couple gets together for the winter and spends a lot of time inside "nesting" and "denning," it's called a hibernation relationship. However, when spring arrives and cabin fever sets in, the passion dies down. Humans employ hibernation partnerships to avoid being lonely and going to corporate holiday parties alone, much as animals naturally opt to hibernate to stave off cold and famine.
The psyche behind hibernation in relationships
When seen through a psychological lens, hibernating relationships reveal a reaction to the changing of the seasons. In keeping with our desire for relaxation and renewal, winter is a season that innately encourages solitude and contemplation. People generally seek close relationships during this period because they crave physical warmth, emotional comfort, and connection. Also, people's opinions on what constitutes physical beauty may change with the seasons; for example, they may give different ratings to certain characteristics in the winter compared to the summer. In particular, tastes in body type were seen to change with the seasons, with colder months eliciting greater beauty evaluations and warmer months eliciting lower ratings.
The psychological dynamics of hibernating relationships shift as winter draws to an end. Seasonal shifts may cause priorities to shift, which can cause relationships that had been in hibernation to end. With the arrival of spring comes renewed vigour and, by extension, a desire to go back out there. The unpredictability of outdoor activities, reuniting with friends, and the revival of social gatherings stoke feelings of restlessness and a need for novelty. All too often, a once-loving dynamic may become stifling, and the passion that blossomed inside starts to fade.
Playing devil’s advocate against this cosy trend
Hibernation relationships are the polar opposite of "summer flings," therefore, it's important to know what to look for in one. We usually have quite different expectations of a potential companion for a summer hookup compared to what we search for in the winter. During the hot months, we tend to go towards energetic, chiselled types; however, the perfect hibernation companion is more of a couch potato, devoted to you and your couch potato's softer, cuddlier frame. There is a built-in date for Christmas parties and less fear about spending long, snowy Saturday evenings alone, thanks to the hibernating relationship.
There is an end date for hibernation partnerships, just as there is for hibernation itself. The reason being, long-term compatibility isn't the foundation of a genuine hibernating connection; ease and convenience are. Couples in hibernation partnerships discover closeness in the solitude and calmness of their shared wintertime habitat. However, as winter deepens, spending time indoors with no external activity can trigger relationship strain and a sense of immobility.
Is the hibernation relationship trend for me?
As the weather warms up, kids typically yearn to venture outdoors and engage in enjoyable activities. Just like that, our inner children may be signalling the same! Unintentionally, a yearning for adventure and stimulation in the outside world can create a rift between loved ones, reducing the quality of time spent together and complicating the process of staying connected.
In a hibernating relationship, a person may desire for the relationship to last all year round, while the other views it as merely a passing fling meant to provide warmth during winter. When spring arrives, if your expectations don't align, it can lead to disappointment and potential separation. When we find ourselves in relationships we aren't passionate about but engage in for the sake of safety and connection, it's often because we're afraid of being alone or being single. But it doesn't usually provide a solid enough foundation to keep couples together, since their bonds are more situational than based on shared values and true compatibility. Thus, a "hibernation relationship" may come to an end as a result of the environmental, emotional, and biological variables stirred up by the change from winter to spring. When these partnerships end, couples may feel bewildered or emotionally exposed, although they provided warmth and company throughout the winter months. Feelings of abandonment or inadequacy might arise if one partner is taken unawares by the split.
Although hibernation relationships may feel like the fuzzy band-aid during the chill, the snow is bound to melt, so tread carefully!