Boycotting Bridget Jones Syndrome
Ever since Helen Fielding put Bridget Jones, the interminably single 30-something, on paper, most of the female population have been striving to avoid turning into her. With a more relaxed attitude to marriage and children, single women in their thirties and over are certainly becoming more and more common. Not that this is a bad thing – it’s great to live in a world where women can choose to be independent from the ties of marriage and parenthood if they want to be.
But if you’re over thirty, looking for a partner and slightly worried you may be slowly turning into the amusing-but-ever-hopeless Bridget, never fear. All you need to do is carry out the following steps and you’ll be heading towards love rather than a life of singledom…
Shake the negative
The first thing to adjust is your attitude. Whenever you have a pessimistic thought about your age or a moment of panic, feeling that ‘time is running out’, repeat the following idiom in your head: age is just a mindset. Never let any presuppositions about what should be happening at a certain stage of your life affect you. Life is what you make it, and carrying around pessimistic thoughts will only dissolve your self-confidence and make you inept to face the dating world. This small change in attitude will set you well on the way to meeting that someone special.
Always look your best
Make sure to carry this newfound optimism into the way you look as well. Don’t abandon your fashion sense, sinking into comfortable, practical clothing and neglecting your appearance completely. Keep looking your best at all times, particularly when in a public setting. After all, who knows when you could meet someone? In the supermarket, in the park – every place has the potential to produce a dashing new catch ready to sweep you off your feet. Just make sure you’re suitably dressed for it!
Take the initiative
Next, take the bull by the horns and try a few hands-on techniques. This could mean joining clubs in your local area or logging on to an online dating site. Niche dating websites are great for finding like-minded people – there are religion-specific websites such as Christian dating UK sites, or taste-specific ones such as sites just for small people. This will mean that you’re actively meeting a lot of new people, and even better, they’ll all be looking for love just like you.
Be open minded
Finally, open up your mind. Say ‘yes’ as much as possible – go to that gig with your friend and try dating that guy at work who’s been asking you for a few months. Who knows what will happen and who knows who you might unexpectedly get on with. Sometimes love hides in unforeseen places.
Whether it means changing your attitude, dating at eHarmony.co.uk or starting to say ‘yes’ to everything, make sure you’re doing something to boycott Bridget Jones syndrome!