If you’re an avid dating app user, you might have heard of “cuffing season,” which is basically just a dating-related term for “winter.” As the weather grows cold and many of us hibernate indoors, more people seek potential suitors to keep them company during the long, dreary months.

But what happens when the winter comes to an end? 

Well, apparently, it’s time for uncuffing season.

What is Uncuffing Season?

That’s right: Spring is officially the season of freeing yourself from the shackles of commitment. That is if you’re unhappy in your current relationship.

“The romance of Valentine’s cuffing season—when daters declare temporary togetherness by making their relationship official—has passed, and now daters are spring cleaning and uncuffing,” said Laurel House, eharmony relationship expert.

“They are clearing their minds and their lives from the excess clutter and complications they don’t really need. This includes considering what they really want in a long-term relationship partner, which often means [dating] differently in the coming months.”

“First,” she continued, “they need to break up, reset, and get ready to start fresh.”

If you’re planning to end things with your partner, it’s important to approach the situation with empathy and intention. House recommended having “a kind, controlled, and non-emotional conversation with your partner about your mutual needs.”

“Ask your partner if they feel like they align with those needs and vice versa,” she recommended. “They might not realize their needs aren’t being met either because you two were wrapped up in the emotional and romantic season of cuffing to realize you actually aren’t a match in real long-term life.”

And if you’re on the receiving end of an unwanted breakup, well, there are steps you can take to recover and enjoy the warm seasons ahead.

“It starts with owning your part in the breakup, getting honest about what went wrong, and figuring out what you’ve learned,” House said. “From there, you move into reclaiming who you were before the relationship, redefining who you want to be now, and refining that upgraded version of yourself so you’re not just healed—you’re evolved.”