Save the Date #5: How do I handle the stress of being single during the holidays? | Dr. Mariel Buquè

Dating around the holiday season and the end of the year can be stressful. What do we say to well-intentioned friends and family who jab at us with questions like “Why are you still single?” or “Are you dating anyone?” And with cold weather, we now have to manage spending more time at home alone. Learn how to navigate dating this holiday season with peace, joy, and confidence from renowned mental health professional Dr. Mariel Buquè.

This is Save the Date, a dating survival kit from Coffee Meets Bagel. Each episode, our Chief Dating Officer Dawoon Kang will sit down with a guest expert to tackle some of your most burning dating questions and explore what it takes to ultimately reach your goals: going on great dates that lead to a lasting, serious relationship.

 

 

SHOW NOTES:

An overview of Mariel’s background [1:27]

Dating during the holidays [3:31]

Coping with difficult emotions around the holiday [5:00]

Anticipating questions about dating from friends and families around the holiday [7:15]

A simple way to deal with holiday anxiety [12:13]

Specific breathing techniques listeners can start using today [18:27]

The science behind why breathing techniques are effective [21:48]

How to deal with loneliness and isolation during the holidays [25:26]

When is the right time to tell a date about depression or mental health conditions [33:16]

How to be supportive of a date who is struggling [36:31]

The best dating advice Mariel has ever received [42:03]

 

RESOURCES:

• Dr. Mariel Buquè’s website
• Dr. Mariel Buquè’s Instagram

QUOTES:

“It’s really important to take a moment for yourself to engage in some self-reflection. Potentially engage in some journaling about what this season feels like for you.” [9:50]

“Tap into yourself, reflect upon what you want to say, recite it, and then when the opportunity comes, you can more calmly say: ‘I’m choosing to focus on myself right now.’” [12:04]

“If you can’t be a good friend to yourself, then how can you be a good friend to a partner?” [33:13]

“It’s so much more rewarding when you can step into a relationship already feeling full and the person just complements you.” [39:40]

“Long breaks are really healthy. It offers you an opportunity to reflect on what you’ve learned in that situation – how did you evolve within it?” [46:25]

“No matter what situation you go into, you are worthy.” [51:41]