If you’re looking for a relationship, casual dating is a great way to get to know a person before jumping into a commitment.
However, it’s also important to keep things light and fun during the casual phase. That means staying open and honest about your intentions.
1. Keep it light.
There are a few things that you should keep in mind when it comes to casual dating. These include maintaining strong boundaries, setting expectations and communicating openly with your date about what you expect from the relationship.
Another important piece of advice for those who are new to casual relationships is to keep it light and fun. This can help reduce the chances of hurt feelings and breakups.
One of the best ways to keep your relationship light and fun is to focus on getting out and enjoying new experiences. This can include going on dates, seeing movies, eating at restaurants or playing miniature golf.
This can be done with a friend or even with a group of people from your social circle. You can also try to get more active on dates, such as going dancing or playing pool.
Keeping things light and fun can help you avoid getting too emotionally attached to your date. It can also make it easier to communicate when you’re not sure if the relationship is working out or not, says Latasha Matthews, LPC, CPCS, CPLC, CAMS, an individual, couples and family therapist at INSIDER.
However, you shouldn’t go overboard with this, especially if you’re still early on in your relationship. Ultimately, it’s up to you and your partner to decide whether or not this is something that you want to continue in the long term.
Keeping it light can be difficult for some people, but it’s worth it in the end. You’ll have a much easier time getting out of your comfort zone and figuring out what kind of relationship you’re looking for if you aren’t too worried about breaking rules or losing a connection with your date.
2. Don’t go overboard.
Casual dating is a great option if you want to have fun without any of the complications that come with long-term relationships. It’s also a way to meet new people without being concerned about your relationship status or what other people think of you.
However, it’s important to remember that you can still go overboard and end up hurting yourself. Here are a few things you should avoid doing when casual dating:
1. Don’t make too many plans!
You should only make plans with your casual partner a few days in advance. It can be tempting to plan out a month or even a week in advance, but this will make you feel obligated to keep them in your life.
2. Don’t go overboard on the cuteness
When you’re in a casual relationship, it’s easy to become too over-the-top cute. That’s especially true if you’re both looking for a serious relationship.
It’s natural to want to show your partner how much you love them, but this can be dangerous if you’re going overboard. It could leave your casual partner feeling rejected or hurt and they might choose to end the relationship.
3. Don’t be afraid to say no!
When you’re casually dating, you need to be honest with your partner. This can be tricky, but it’s important to do so if you want your relationship to last.
4. Don’t go overboard on jealousy
Jealousy is one of the biggest issues in relationships, but it’s especially common in casual dating. It can ruin a relationship and take away the fun.
If you find yourself getting jealous of your casual partner, it’s probably time to cut ties. It might be hard, but it’s worth it if you want to get back out there and meet someone who will be better for you.
3. Be honest.
Casual dating can be a great way to explore a relationship before you decide to make it official. It’s a great way to break out of your typical dating patterns and see what it’s like to date someone who doesn’t necessarily fit the mold.
However, it’s important to be honest with your partner when you’re casually dating. This doesn’t mean that you have to tell them everything you’re feeling, but it does mean that you should be upfront about what you want and what you don’t.
For example, if you’re casually dating a guy and you start to develop feelings for him, it’s important that you be honest with him about what you’re feeling. This way, he can decide whether or not the relationship is moving in the right direction.
Another important aspect of being honest with your casual partner is to make sure that you’re on the same page about sex. It’s a good idea to have open and honest discussions about how often you both want to have sexual relationships with each other and how many people your casual partner is going to be seeing at one time.
If you’re a jealous person, it’s a good idea to be honest with your partner when you’re in a casual relationship. If you’re too jealous, it can hurt your relationship and make you feel uneasy.
Keeping it light and fun is a great way to stay happy while you’re casually dating. It’s also a great way to explore what you want in a relationship. If you’re not finding happiness with your casual partner, it’s a good idea to cut ties and find someone who makes you feel happy again.
4. Don’t be afraid to say no.
A casual relationship can be a great way to try out new things, meet different people, and see what your preferences are in a partner. But it’s also a risky relationship, and it can be easy to get attached or develop feelings that aren’t mutual.
Having strong boundaries is critical to making casual dating work. It weeds out people who are manipulative or who will use you for their own gain, and it keeps the lines of communication open.
To make sure that you’re on the same page as your date, set some rules before you begin. These could include what kind of behavior is OK and what isn’t, how sexual intercourse is handled, and so on.
Be honest about what you want from a casual relationship so that both parties are on the same page, says eharmony relationship expert and therapist Minaa B. This can help ensure that you’re not wasting time with someone who doesn’t share your vision for the future, she adds.
It’s also important to be bold enough to say no when it’s time to move on. “Being brave to say no can be a great way to avoid getting too attached to someone,” says Tallon-Hicks.
While acting unavailable might seem like a good idea at the beginning, it can actually cause problems later on in your relationship. It can lead to insecurities, neediness, and jealousy.
And it can also be a way to hide your true self and not express how you really feel about the person in front of you, which can be a big red flag.
Ultimately, being bold and brave enough to say no can be a great way for you to get the most out of your casual relationship and keep the fun and light feeling alive. But it’s also important to be careful with your words and make sure that you are saying no in a respectful way so that you don’t end up hurting yourself or your date.
5. Don’t be afraid to cut ties.
If you’re in a casual relationship and feel like things are going in the wrong direction, don’t be afraid to cut ties. It can be a painful time, but it is healthy to end something that isn’t working for you.
The first step to not being afraid to cut ties is knowing what you want from your relationship. Having an open and honest conversation about what you are looking for will help ensure that your relationship is one that is fulfilling and happy for both parties.
You’ll also find that having a clear understanding of what kind of relationship you are participating in can help prevent any unnecessary conflicts in the future, says Tallon-Hicks. It’s a good idea to check in with your partner at least once a month to make sure that everyone is staying on the same page and that their boundaries are being met, she advises.
If your feelings start to change for your date, it is important that you acknowledge these changes so that your partner knows what’s happening. If you don’t, it can be very confusing and leave your partner feeling unfulfilled.
It’s also a good idea to ask your partner if they are okay with you continuing to see them as a casual friend. This will give you the opportunity to talk about any issues that might have come up without making it seem as if you’re breaking up.
The last thing you want is to ghost your date when you’ve decided that they are not the right person for you anymore. That can leave a bad taste in both of your mouths, so be sure to end the relationship with as much transparency as possible.
