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Moving on from the past is difficult, and we often find ourselves stuck in this weird, lonely limbo where it feels like we’ll never be able to date again and put ourselves back out there.
Whether you went through a divorce, an ugly break-up, or have taken a hiatus from dating altogether, returning to the dating world can seem daunting, and even scary.
So how do you know if you’re truly ready for a relationship? Are you really ready to date again? Here are 8 signs that you are in fact ready to get out there and date again.
8 Signs that You’re Ready to Date Again
1. You’re comfortable with who you are. You know yourself well enough to know what your strengths and weaknesses are, and you’re comfortable with all of them. You accept and love yourself as you are, flaws and all.
2. You’re not angry or bitter over your past. It’s completely normal to feel anger or bitterness about your past relationship. For instance, you may be angry at your ex who cheated on you. However, you’re only truly ready to date again if you’ve given yourself adequate time to deal with your anger and resentment over the past. If you’re well past the angry phase and are able to look forward at this point, you’re ready to start dating.
3. You don’t need anyone to be happy. You don’t really need anyone or anything to complete your happiness at this point in your life. Maybe you already have a strong support network of friends and family. Or maybe you’re in a career and job that you’re super passionate about. You may find yourself thinking, “It would be nice to have someone to share this moment with,” but you also realize that you don’t really need anyone to complete you or your life.
4. You can trust again. All of us have been lied to, take advantage of, or treated disrespectfully at some point. Whatever your past experiences have been, you’ve learned from them and you know that you should always be cautious with who you trust. While you know you shouldn’t trust everyone blindly, you also know that there are many good people out there like you that are worthy of your trust, just as you are of theirs.
5. You know how to take care of yourself. You’ve been in enough relationships and have had enough experiences to know how to take care of you and your needs. Maybe you love to bike ride every morning and see that as your outlet. Maybe you enjoy reading for a few minutes every day to take your mind off your stressful job. The point is, you’re taking the time to self-care and look after your needs.
6. You’ve given yourself time to heal. Allowing yourself time to heal means taking the time to reconnect with yourself. You’ve spent some time alone now, and you haven’t gone on many, if any, dates since your last relationship.
7. You’re not preoccupied with your ex and what they’re up to. You no longer think about your ex on a moment-to-moment basis, nor do you base your decisions on them anymore. You’re thinking primarily of yourself and you’re not concerned anymore about what your ex does with whom. This also means that you don’t feel the urge to constantly check their social media pages.
8. You’ve thought about what you really want in your next relationship. You’ve taken the time to reflect on your past relationship, and you know yourself better now to know what you want and need in your next relationship. Maybe you want to practice more transparency with your future partner. Or maybe you want to take things slower. You’ve learned from your past experiences, and you know what you want your next relationship to look like.
Still trying to get over your ex? Here’s why you’re struggling to move on from them, and what you can do to finally get over your ex.
