Dating can be difficult for a plethora of reasons, but don’t make it harder on yourself with habits that could be harming your dating life. Take a moment to think about your dating success rate and consider if some of your personal habits are the reason that you never got a second or third date with someone. It’s okay to acknowledge these behaviors and make a plan to improve yourself on your next date.
Here are six dating habits to lose to make your dating life easier and more successful:
Pretending to be someone you’re not
With the world of online dating, it can be easy to make a few exaggerations about your life to seem more interesting to potential dates. However, there’s a good chance you’ll get caught in the act eventually. When you pretend to be someone or something that you’re not, you’ll spend more energy on playing the part than figuring out if you have a genuine connection with someone. Instead of putting on an act, show who you really are online and you will attract the right kind of people for you. If someone doesn’t like who you are, it’s their loss; not yours! Always stay true to yourself and whatever is meant to be, will be. If you’re unsure of who you are or need help presenting yourself online, consider seeking out a matchmaking coach to help guide you through the process. They will be able to help you shine through and make you feel confident and comfortable when it comes to authentically dating.
Putting in minimal effort
When dating someone, you want to make sure you impress them enough to go on more than just one date. Sometimes though, it can seem like one person is putting in all the effort. From planning dates to always texting first, it can get overwhelming for one person to wear all the hats in the relationship. Make sure that you aren’t leaving everything up to the other person by taking equal responsibility when it comes to dating. Show the other person you care through kind gestures, like sending them flowers before a date or offering to plan your time together. If you’re truly interested in someone, take the time to show them. Minimal effort, whether you realize it or not, can lead to a lower success rate when it comes to dating.
Taking too long to reply
Let’s be honest, no one likes a purposeful slow responder. When you take too long to answer someone, you come across as uninterested and seem like you’re playing hard to get. If you’re truly interested in someone, simply respond in a timely manner so that they know you’re serious about meeting up and going on a date. It also shows that you care for them. If you’re not interested, have the courtesy to let someone know rather than ghosting them and not giving them any closure. It’s okay if you don’t feel a connection, but the toxic habit of leaving someone hanging and not knowing where you stand just isn’t nice and can even harm your reputation in the dating scene.
Neglecting your sexual health
Dating often leads to romance and intimacy, which is why it’s crucial to ensure that your sexual health is in check when you start seeing someone new. While getting intimate may not happen right away, you’ll want to make sure you’re prepared for it, if or when it does happen. At the very least, it’s important to get checked for STIs every time you switch sexual partners to be certain that you aren’t unknowingly spreading anything, and also make sure that you’re prepared with protection. Of course with a new partner, there can sometimes be sexual difficulties for both men and women. For men that may struggle to maintain an erection with a new partner, consider buying Viagra online to help blood flow to the penis for a better erection. For women that may face sexual anxieties, consider introducing a sex toy in the bedroom, like a vibrator, to help you feel more comfortable and aroused on your own first.
Having bad manners
There’s nothing worse than having bad manners on a date, but unless you’ve learned proper dating etiquette early on, it can be hard to know how you should act. While everyone has a different understanding of how a first date should go, generally the person who initiated the date does the planning and pays. However, this isn’t always the case so don’t be afraid to have a transparent conversation. Additionally, be sure to set your phone to silent and only answer if there’s an absolute emergency. Constantly checking your phone can make you seem uninterested, hurt your date’s feelings, and set a bad tone for the rest of the date. Bad manners are a turn off for most people, so enhance your chances of a successful first date by practicing proper dating etiquette and showing off how polite you are.
Being secretive about your intentions
Lastly, don’t be sneaky about your intentions when you’re dating someone. It’s rude to not openly share what you’re looking for at the beginning of a relationship because otherwise, you’re wasting the other person’s time and even your own. If you want a casual relationship with no strings attached, then make that known in the beginning so the other person involved can decide if this is right for them. If you’re looking for something more serious that could potentially turn into a life-long relationship, then let that be known too. Playing mind games and keeping your intentions secret is a toxic dating habit that needs to be let go of.
If you are in need of more relationship and dating advice, don’t hesitate to contact me for one-on-one coaching. I’d be thrilled to chat with you about the services we offer to help you achieve your relationship desires.
By Carmelia Ray|October 27th, 2020|Carmelia Ray, Dating Advice
