“When do I start dating again after a breakup?” Guys who are fresh out of relationships ask us this question all the time, and there’s no easy answer. In fact, there’s no answer we can give you. What The Art of Charm can do, however, is teach you how to come up with the answer for yourself. Here’s our guide to answering the question of whether or not you’re ready to start dating again.
Are You Taking Time for Yourself?
How much time are you taking out for yourself? Work and the gym are necessary components of any man’s life; But how much time are you taking out for the things that you really enjoy in life? We’re talking about hobbies and passions, things that you like doing for their own sake, because they’re pleasurable in their own right.
Take time for yourself to read, volunteer with groups you’re passionate about and maybe even binge watch a few hours of The Wire. It’s OK to take time for yourself and it’s something you should do while you’re single. Remember that time you spend doing things you enjoy is never time wasted. So take some time and allow yourself to “waste time.”
Do You Want to Start Dating?
A lot of men are so concerned with whether or not they “should” start dating again that they ignore the question of whether or not they actually want to. Do you? Are you interested in meeting new women or are you cool working, hitting the gym and working on your truck for now? Don’t feel like you need to rush back into dating before you feel like you’re ready. You have to want it if you’re going to achieve your goals.
Are You Ready?
A separate question from whether or not you want to is whether or not you’re “ready” — this is a question that guys tend to ignore as they try to figure out when to start dating again. The big question when it comes to being “ready” is whether or not you’re still smarting a lot; either bitter or looking for a replacement. Neither of these are great places to start from with dating. Both are totally understandable, but you need to work through them before you’re going to be ready for dating again. You want to push yourself a little bit, but not rush back into things before you feel like you’re ready; That’s just setting yourself up for failure.
When to Start Dating Again
When you’ve taken time for yourself, when you want to get back out there and when enough of the negativity is past: That’s the time to start dating again. So call up a good friend, someone that you trust, tell them that you want to make the town and start getting out there and meeting people. Men, women, it really doesn’t matter. Just being social is good practice for whatever your social goals might be. It’s going to take baby steps at first, but once you get back in the swing of things, you’re going to start becoming a practiced master at the art of socializing.
