With the winter months slowly coming to an end, so is cuffing season. Wait, you've never heard of cuffing season? Where have you been? "Cuffing season" refers to a specific time of the year when single people are determined to get "boo'ed up". When the summer months are over and the cozy sweaters start to come out, millennials have established that this is the perfect time to be on bae watch. Usually, between the months of October-March, the temperature drops and the number of couples rise.

So now that we've established the "what" and "when", let's explore the why...

Is it the need to have a cuddle buddy during the chilly months? Cuffing season falls smack dab in the middle of the holiday season. Is it the feeling of generosity and the want to spoil somebody? Or maybe you feel the pressure to finally be able to give your aunt the answer she wants to hear when she asks the notorious "are you dating anyone yet?" question every year at Thanksgiving. Then, of course, there is the corny, yet undeniably adorable holiday movies that convince us the holiday seasons and romance are supposed to go hand in hand.

People also tend to feel lonelier during these months. Seasonal depression is a real thing- perhaps a special somebody would be able to make the shorter days a little longer and the colder days a little warmer. I came across a cuffing season timeline that I thought was humorous, but also very accurate:

www.babe.net

The tryouts through playoffs months are where things become crucial. You've found yourself a bae and now you're wondering exactly what you've gotten yourself into.

Although the idea of somebody being able to accompany you to the state fair and celebrate the holidays with may sound appealing, you need to understand that "cuffing season" can sometimes be just that- a season. Unfortunately, your bae, for the time being, may have an expiration date. It is typical for these relationships to come to an end once the cold weather comes to an end.

Why in the world would the temperature have the ability to end your relationship? Because you see- once the weather starts to warm up, people have more motivation to get out and do things; therefore, more options are available to them. During the summer, especially, people find it inconvenient to have to deal with a relationship when the freedom of the summertime is calling their name.

What you may be thinking is but I'm really digging my relationship right now- I don't want it to end just because of the so-called 'cuffing expiration date'. Well, it doesn't have to! There are ways to avoid this dreaded deadline. The key to this is communication. Now, I know what you're thinking. "Yeah yeah yeah communication is key, blah blah blah".

But when it comes to the timeline of your relationship, it really is! My boyfriend and I survived the cuffing season deadline by being open with each other about what each of us wanted out of our relationship. We both made it very clear that we weren't just in it to have someone for Valentine's Day or someone to take pictures in front of the Christmas tree with. This is all you need to do to either secure your relationship or kick it to the curb before getting your heart broken.

To cuff or not to cuff. That is the question.

Nobody likes to be alone, but if you're seeking out a relationship to fulfill your loneliness or any other selfish reason, you might be doing more harm than you think. Make the choice that best suits your lifestyle and consider the feelings of your new almost-bae before doing so. Happy cuffing!