Dating can be a lot of fun, but it can also be stressful. You’re looking for the love of your life, which is a lot of pressure—plus, you’re usually so worried about making a good first impression that you forget you’re supposed to have fun!

Dating doesn’t have to—and shouldn’t be—stressful. As long as you keep things in perspective, you should have no problem taking stress out of the equation altogether. Do so with these five considerations in mind:

     1.   There’s nothing wrong with you. You have your character flaws and you make plenty of mistakes, but there’s nothing fundamentally wrong with you. Nothing at all! You deserve to be happy, and if your date doesn’t see the beauty in you, he/she isn’t worth your time!

     2.   There are always new chances. Not every date has to be perfect. There are plenty of other opportunities for new dates and new partners, so don’t pin all your hopes on one event. 

     3.   You don’t have to date. Dating should be fun, and if it stops being fun because it’s too stressful, take a break from it! Learn to enjoy the single life, free from the constraints of dating, and only go back when you’re comfortable again. 

     4.   Things will rarely go as you expect. You probably have lots of friends and family members giving you advice, and you probably have your own preconceived notions of how your dating experience should go. Unfortunately, things will almost never go the way you expect. Prepare for that eventuality. 

     5.   Remember to love yourself. You can never be happy in a relationship until you’re happy with yourself. Learn to enjoy your own company and love yourself. 

With these five considerations in mind, your dating experience should get closer to the way it should be—far less stressful and far more fun.

 

Sheila Blagg is a Divorce Mediator certified  through the Ohio Supreme courts, & founder & CEO of Divorce 2 Dating, the first social networking site for individuals navigating a divorce. Follow Sheila on Twitter and Facebook!