Are You Ready to Start Dating Again?

After separation and divorce, you need to be honest with yourself once you decide to get back out there. You should ask yourself the following questions:

• Are you ready to start dating?
• What do you want? Your options are Friends With Benefits (FWB), relationship, to date a few men, hang outs, and hook ups.
• What does he want?
• What did I do that contributed to the breakdown of my divorce/separation?
• Are you over your ex?

The only one who can determine if you’re ready to start dating again is you. Some people say you need a month for every year together.

Others spit out two years as the magical number. And then there’s everything in between and sideways of that.

You will know when you’re ready to be with another person when you want to be intimate, emotionally and physically.

If you still have feelings for your ex, you aren’t ready. If you still cry over the break-up, you aren’t ready.

If you never think about them and feel excited at the prospect of meeting new people, then you are as good as ready. You can be scared and uncertain and doubtful of your success, yes, but you are otherwise ready.

Dating helps you figure out what you will and won’t tolerate, what you do and don’t need.

Date a lot, meet a ton of men, sample the pool, see what’s out there until you find what fits for you and makes you feel good.

Dating is exhausting, though, physically (all that prep work!), mentally (trying not to think “not another date with some guy I probably won’t like”), and emotionally (you think it went well but … you never hear from him again. Awww, that kinda hurts, dude).

Men who are already built need only apply.

And that seems to be a tall order these days.

I am not a charity. Say this to yourself too.

We need to make decisions that benefit us going forward.

We need a man who is already built.

Take some time to figure out if you’re ready to really start dating. Maybe you won’t know until you try for a bit. You will figure it out pretty fast once with other men if this is for you right now. And if not, take more time and try again in a few months.