The relationships we form with each other make up a big part of our well-being on this big blue rock we call Earth. And honestly, having a partner to stick with you through thick and thin has become pretty necessary for survival.
And it’s been like that for centuries. But even though dating is necessary, it isn’t totally harmless. It can be exciting and sweet, sure, but the worst kind of dates can leave us with broken hearts and terrible hurt. They can be disappointing and might even take us a long time to recover from.
So, in order to increase your chances of finding true love and forging good relationships, it’s really important to know how to move on from bad dates. It can be hard, but you need to know how to consciously overcome the fallout from a bad date and be ready to put yourself out there again.
Here are six things to remember when you’re trying to move on from an awful dating experience. Don’t worry, we’ve all been there!
1) Don’t Give Up on Love
Bad experiences tend to linger on longer than good ones; they just have longer tails and can take a while to recover from. Sometimes, when we go through events like those in our lives, the after-effects end up consuming us. Bad dates are a great example. A few of those in a short time can be enough to make us give up on the idea of love altogether.
The truth is, you’re bound to fail a couple of times during the process of finding the one. Most relationships fizzle out over time and never actually develop into anything substantial, and bad dates are just a roadblock in that process. So, if it doesn’t work out a few times, don’t give up! You have to keep trying, because there is definitely someone out there for you. Trust us!
2) Don’t Blame Yourself
Bad dates can be mentally draining or, at worst, emotionally distressing, and that can push us to make irrational decisions. Decisions like, for example, blaming ourselves for the failure of the date. That’s a very human response to something not going as well as we planned or hoped for.
So, if your date didn’t go as well as you wanted it to, always remember that it takes two to tango. A bad date is never entirely one person’s fault (in most cases), and there are a ton of factors that can contribute to a no-show for romance. So don’t be hard on yourself, rest up and recover, and get back into the sea!
3) Learn From Your Mistakes
Dating is a journey on a path with a lot of dead ends and winding streets. You’ll need to persevere to get to where you want to be, and the most important thing to remember on your way there is the necessity of learning from your mistakes.
You need to remember what choices led to hurt, which turns took you backward, and which paths were difficult to follow. Bad dates can teach you a lot about what you want and need from a prospective partner, and learning from those experiences can help you avoid them in the future. That’s why it’s important to keep the past in mind when building new relationships!
4) It’s a Common Experience
Sure, moving on can be a tedious and tiring process, but keep in mind that you’re not alone. A lot of people have bad experiences while dating and go through the same struggle you’re going through. In fact, the person you’re meeting up with for a first date might be recovering from a bad date themselves!
Keep your chin up and don’t be afraid to ask for help from friends or family if you need it. Bad dates are really common and people always get through them! It’s not the end of the world, and you’re definitely going to get past it and reach the happily-ever-after era of your life. Hang in there!
5) Listen to Yourself
Bad dates should be a conversation starter: a conversation you have with yourself. You should always follow them up with some serious analysis of the situation. What happened, why did it happen, and how did it make you feel?
Make a bad date an opportunity for you to learn about yourself. You can process what is and isn’t acceptable to you, and what you think is the difference between a good date and a bad date. Understand your expectations, your desires, and your boundaries, because knowing yourself is an important part of dating and forging relationships. You’ll thank us later!
6) Give it Time
Don’t get back to dating if you feel like you’re not ready for it yet. Sometimes, these experiences require a whole lot more processing than we realize, and it can be easy to push yourself out there before you’re ready.
Don’t hesitate to put things on pause if you feel like you need a break. You don’t need to date if you don’t feel up to it, and there’s no reason to feel awkward about it. Life happens! What’s important is that we get on the road to recovery, and recovery is different for everyone. Do what you need to do!
We hope these tips were helpful, if you feel like you’re ready to move on from a bad date, just download #NticeMe and get back into the swing of things!