Ten! Nine! Eight!

“I can’t believe I’m at another New Year’s Eve Party, alone.”

Seven! Six! Five!

“Next year, I’m definitely staying at home. This is rubbish.”

Four! Three! Two!

“Hmmmph.”

One! HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Sound familiar? If the answer’s yes, then this guide’s for you.

New Year’s Eve might (more often than not) seem like one of life’s big let downs, but it doesn’t have to be that way. When the bells chime and the fireworks bang and Auld Lang Syne is belted out with gusto, you should be surrounded by friends and family, and looking forward to all the good things a brand new year can bring.

So, if you do find yourself going stag at a New Year’s Eve party, and your resolution is to find a little love, here’s what you need to do:

Think About What to Wear

Unless you’re going to a proper black tie event where formal attire is expected, you should keep it relatively casual.

Now, this doesn’t mean turning up in your sweats unkempt and uncaring; it simply means you don’t need to rent a tux for the evening.

Instead, find a balance between too smart and too casual (let’s call it smart/casual; maybe that’ll catch on).

Consider wearing a grey, navy blue, or black v-neck sweater with a checked shirt, jeans or chinos, smart brogues and a smart blazer. Top it off with a scarf, and grab an umbrella in case it rains.

There, now you look like a guy who’s ready to see in the new year in style.

Eat Smart!

If you have designs on making it to midnight and beyond, you need to eat, and eat smart. You’ve definitely heard the advice of not drinking on an empty stomach, but it’s something you need to take on board if you don’t want to be chucked out the party before the bells.

Eat a decent meal before you even put on your smart/casual threads.

This is particularly important if you know beforehand that you won’t be getting a proper, adult-sized meal at the party. If it’s a buffet full of finger foods, you better line your stomach with something substantial prior to leaving the house.

Food with natural fat content, such as salmon and avocado, will keep you going!

Keep Your Friends Close

One of the main reasons New Year’s Eve can feel like such as let down is because we tend to attach more significance to it than just about any other night.

If you temper those expectations and treat it like any other night out with your friends (albeit, one where the drink prices have gone through the roof) then you’ll have so much more fun.

Just make sure you don’t lose them as the night gets underway. The last thing you want to be doing is wandering around looking for your mates instead of enjoying the party.

Mingle and Chat

That being said, you don’t want to appear insular and aloof. By all means, stick with your friends, but also be open to meeting new people.

New Year’s Eve can be a bit of a romantic evening (more on that below), so don’t put up a force-field and shun any attention. When the bells signal the start of a new year, you’ll be glad you didn’t.

Drink Smart!

First of all, it’s not a race to see who can be the drunkest person at the party, so take your time.

Secondly, don’t mix your drinks (too much). If you’re a beer drinker, don’t start necking all sorts of spirits and champagne in between rounds. You’ll just make yourself feel lousy.

Stick to one or two drinks that you know you can handle, and more importantly, that you enjoy. And be careful with cocktails. Sure, they can taste amazing, but sometimes that just serves to mask the incredibly high alcohol content.

To make sure you see midnight, stay hydrated between rounds by drinking plenty of water.

And Finally, the Midnight Kiss

A little bit of friendly advice: don’t make the evening all about getting off with someone at midnight. If you do, and it doesn’t happen, boy are you going to be a little bit devastated.

And frankly that’s just not the mood to take into a brand new year full of brand new possibilities.

But if you do fancy putting your lips on someone else’s lips at the bells, then you need to start early. First of all, make sure you’re at a party or social gathering where you’ll have the chance to meet other single people. Standing in your married friend’s front room with three other couples means you’ll be the odd one out every time.

Next, put yourself out there. You won’t be the only one eyeing up a midnight snog, so start chatting to the other guests, loosen up a bit, and get into your conversational groove.

If you hit it off with someone in particular, make sure you’re standing near them at 11:55pm. And when the countdown hits ‘one’, make your move.

Hey, you might just get a hug, or a little peck on the lips, but at least you put yourself out there!

Happy New Year from Urban Social

Hopefully this little guide will help you make more of this New Year’s Eve. Just relax and have fun!

Oh, and remember: be safe out there guys. Don’t drink and drive, be responsible, and start 2018 on the right foot.

Guys, have we missed any New Year’s Eve etiquette tips? Let us know on our Facebook or Twitter.

The post A Guy’s Guide to New Year’s Eve appeared first on Urbansocial Dating Blog.