Single ladies, there’s a new member of the coven. Cool, funny, and complete with a famous fringe, Dakota Johnson has reportedly recently broken up with her longtime partner Chris Martin. And according to an interview on the podcast Good Hang with Amy Poehler, she might be gearing up for a hot girl summer. When asked by the Saturday Night Live alum how she psychs herself up to do sex scenes, Johnson replied, "Amy, I don’t have to. I’m, like, always psyched up for sex."

The famously acerbic actress might’ve only been teasing, and who knows what’s really going on with her and Martin. But regardless, her words speak to a universal truth, one so ubiquitous and well understood that for several years it has spawned countless songs, memes, and TikToks—there are more than half a million posts under the hashtag #hotgirlsummer on the platform. Why? Because deep down, all of us know that if there’s one time of year to be psyched up for sex and newly single, it’s summer.

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Officially the warmest, funnest, and most debaucherous season, summer brings with it a sense of silliness, excitement, and unabashed horniness. People are going out more and wearing less. They’re happier, healthier, and high on vitamin D. There’s a lingering sense of opportunity and anticipation permeating pub gardens, setting the scene for a romcom-worthy vibe that, however delusional, has you thinking your next great relationship is just one half pint away. It’s thrilling, as if suddenly everything has erotic potential.

Even sitting on a crowded train, sweat knocking between people’s knees, can feel strangely seductive, particularly if you catch eyes with someone on the other side of the carriage. A smile here, a shy giggle there. You never know what could happen! All of which is to say that there really is no better time to be fresh out the gate of a relationship than right now.

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Ideally, the breakup happened sometime around April. This gives you a few months to pull yourself together, and go through at least one round of the usual post-split psychological cycle: Cry, block, delete, cry again, unblock, send angry and regrettable DM, block again, cry, throw phone at wall, self-reflection, haircut, last minute trip abroad, small cry, find peace. Generally, this is repeated until you’re left with the peace part.

By the time June rolls around, the idea is that you’ve processed things enough to feel ready to start putting yourself out there again. Even if you’re still emotionally grieving, at the very least, you’ll probably want to try having sex with someone new. After all, it’s summer! I’ll admit that I’m speaking with a bit of experience here, having broken up with my last boyfriend in April 2022. I wouldn’t advise doing what I did to cope, which involved running away to northern California, getting a highly questionable fringe, and pursuing romantic relationships with just about any single straight man who knew my name. Don’t do any of that.

Summer brings with it a sense of silliness, excitement, and unabashed horniness

But what you should do is enjoy your newfound freedom by saying yes to just about every opportunity that comes your way, surrounding yourself with friends, family, and ideally also going to as many festivals as you and your circadian rhythm can handle. I did as much of this as I could, making the most of every BBQ and birthday garden party. It’s not that I was actually looking for someone new, although that’s how it felt at the time. It was more that I felt like I could throw myself into a set of fun, footloose, and fancy-free outdoor plans that nourished my sense of self in a way I hadn’t realised I’d been neglecting while in my relationship. I forged new friendships, tended old ones, and felt more like myself than I had in years.

Don’t get me wrong, breakups are rough. And there are obviously always going to be inevitable low moments that even the sunniest climes won’t appease. Think panic attacks in my tent at Glastonbury Festival at 7am and neverending lists of messages I never sent to my ex filling up my Notes app. Obviously, the pain, shame, and sense of loss doesn’t go away when it’s a hot day. But it does feel a lot easier to work through when you’re only ever a few phone calls away from lying on the grass in a park with a few pals, surrounded by the sounds of other people’s picnics, and feeling the sun on your face.

If there’s an option between that and breaking up with someone on the precipice of the festive season, when it’s so much easier to slip into goblin mode and hibernate from the cold by staying underneath your duvet for weeks on end, well, I know which one I’d rather choose. The trouble is breakups don’t work that way; we can’t just book them like dentist appointments. That said, if, like Johnson, the timing happens to be in your favour and you find yourself reading this a newly single woman, well, consider yourself fortunate and don’t be afraid to dive right in. The water’s lovely—trust me.

This article was first seen on ELLE US.