4 Tips for Improving Your Dating Life
Navigating the world of dating can be stressful. For some, it's a series of anxious encounters where you can go from exhilaration to dejection in a heartbeat. Dating can be the road to a partnership that's exceptionally fulfilling; it can also be the road to emotional ruin. It's impossible to pinpoint exactly how you can stay on track to romantic happiness. You can, however, do four things to increase the odds that dating is a positive experience for you.
Have fun! It's easy to slip into the serious, emotionally-charged aspects of dating. You can get so caught up in assessing your relationship that you forget to enjoy it. First and foremost, a date should be a fun experience where you get to learn about a new person for whom feelings are starting to grow. Don't let excessive analysis overwhelm the positive energy you share with someone you're getting to know. Enjoy it.
Stay busy. Not only should your dates be a blast, but your life should be fun, too. Keep yourself occupied with a mix of professional and personal pursuits. Don't allow dating to monopolize all of your attention, and don't let it be your main source of personal satisfaction. You're a vibrant, complex person – your schedule should reflect that! You're likely to be a better date if you're regularly spending time with all the people and things you love because you'll radiate positivity and self-assurance.
Contact love interests sparingly at first. It can be tempting to get in touch with a new interest really often. Conversations are still fresh and exciting, just like your budding relationship. In the initial stages of dating, though, it's usually a good idea to moderate your impulses to reach out all the time. Not only does a bit of restraint prevent you from potentially scaring off a new date, but it helps establish a little distance between the two of you. Some distance can prevent you from immediately tumbling into a state of infatuation; though euphoric at times, early infatuation can cloud your judgment.
Speak up when you're ready to take the plunge. If you've been dating someone for a while, you're really interested, and you feel like you're ready to take your relationship to the next level, communicate what you want. Some people resist expressing what they want in fear that they'll run the other person away. Although restraint can be a good idea in the early stages of dating, you need to come clean about your feelings after enough time has passed. If you are no longer able to fully enjoy the time you spend time with your love interest because you need more, let the person know. You run the risk of rejection, which is painful, but at least you know whether you need to move on to someone else.
Successful dating often means knowing when to keep things light and when to take on more commitment. Of course, timing will vary for each couple. However, it's easier to know when the time is right if dating is just one piece of a balanced life.