Why not make the effort and introduce yourself?

I bet I’m not the only one who sometimes breathes a sigh of relief when one-night stands are canceled. Especially winter can be a difficult time to get out of the house.

Once the curtains are drawn, the heat is on, and you may be snuggling with your pets or family, it can be a real strain to have to think about showering and preparing to venture out into the cold and rain again. It’s no wonder that many of us want to hibernate for the winter.

Also, after Christmas, many of us will need to budget due to a shortage of cash. A recent survey has revealed that a third of families have borrowed to finance Christmas and it can take up to three years to pay it back. It can seem like forever until the January paycheck is due.

Then there are those people who are planning their next vacation and are starting to save. All valid reasons why January can be a long and cold month for many people. But going out often just requires us to put in the effort and show up. Being sociable doesn’t always require a lot of spending and can be a great way to support each other during those long winter months.

Why not make the effort and show up?

– Visit your friends. Even if you’re just calling for coffee, it’s good to make the effort to keep in touch. There are many ways to enjoy each other’s company, perhaps by sharing photos, anecdotes, or part of your music collection. A little imagination can go a long way.

– Invite friends to yours. It’s always good to have a reason to tidy up the house! Suggest dinner. Cheese and crackers, a simple pasta dish, or a casserole are often a welcome meal. Guests will often offer to bring something. Let them contribute and you can reciprocate when you go to theirs.

– Be proactive. Start a book club, in which each person takes turns suggesting a book for the group to read and discuss. Have a game night. Cards, board games, and quiz afternoons are often so much fun that they continue well into the year. Or an evening of pampering where ‘the girls’ make the effort and appear with their beauty products, perhaps bringing a bottle, to enjoy catching up.

– Consider a training course. It’s good to stretch out and get out of our comfort zone. Take the opportunity to improve yourself and commit to doing something you’ve been thinking about for a while. Exams don’t have to be a factor, just put in the effort and show up regularly so you can learn a new skill. It could well be an exhilarating use of your time.

– Get out. Going for a walk or a run with friends or just can be a positive investment in your fitness and increase your exposure to daylight. Exercising with friends or family can be an important way to connect through conversation, competition, and shared activity. Come out for a nature walk, a soccer game, or a beach run and enjoy the ways to have precious ‘me time’ or ‘us time’ away from home, TV and distractions of housework, homework and technology. .

And most of the time, when we make the effort and show the result, it’s fun, where we’re glad we tried hard to go. In fact, those listless and unplanned afternoons are often the best times. There were no real expectations or perhaps we made only minimal effort to prepare and dress. They are the moments that often turn out to be the most satisfying and rewarding of all.

It is also the case that sometimes we try hard and show up, but it won’t be such a brilliant evening. Not everything is lost. We can still enjoy each other’s company and cultivate our friendships. Instead of being disappointed or wasting time, we can learn to relax and go with the flow.

View these moments as an investment in taking a more relaxed approach, chatting and laughing together, and allowing the evening to progress at your own pace. When you decide to put in the effort and show up, it can bring your own satisfaction and reward.