5 Types of Dating: Find Your Style and Date Smart
Dating is not a ‘one size fits all’, it’s different for everyone depending on the stage they are in within their life and what their aspirations and goals are. However it’s really important to nail down your style of dating and what really works for you!
The last thing you want to be doing is heading into the dating world without an awareness of what it is you want or how you would prefer to be dating someone. I’ve outlined below the five main types of dating out there and how they look:
1. Putting Yourself First
Something I believe you should be doing WHATEVER the situation. However this style is about prioritizing personal growth, goals, and self care whilst being open to dating. Most importantly, make sure you are dating when it feels RIGHT. If you are someone who wants to focus on hobbies, friendships, or self confidence before committing to a relationship, I suggest adopting this dating style.
Go out on lots of dates, learn to value yourself and make sure you are clear on who YOU are before you move forward. It is paramount that you are clear about what your expectations are when you are dating people.
2. Casual Dating
Casual dating is spending time with someone without any serious or long term expectations. It focuses on fun, companionship and getting to know people. It works well if you’re not ready for a committed, long term relationship or if you are simply working out what you like in a partner.
With this kind of dating it’s really important to remember to be very clear and honest with your intentions and feelings so as not to cause any upset or misunderstanding on either side.
3. Looking for Something Meaningful
Looking for something meaningful, or intentional dating, means dating with a clear purpose. Often, this means you are dating with the hopes to build a long term relationship.
If you value emotional connection, deep conversations and shared goals, this may be an indicator that you are ready for something with more commitment. This kind of dating isn’t about rushing into anything; it’s about being thoughtful and clear with your time and energy, in order to hopefully find a long term partner.
4. Dating Whilst in a Group
For some people, the concept of going out on a one on one date with a total stranger is really daunting. Quite often, those that are part of large groups of friends may end up dating someone from within that group. This can work well as you may already feel safe and confident with this individual and can involve hanging out with friends while getting to know that person.
This is an especially great way of dating for people who feel more comfortable in social settings or are new to dating. You can dip your toe into the pool of dating with the familiarity of those you know.
5. Long Distance Dating
Distance can be really tough. However, lots of people do long distance dating! It happens when two people like each other but live far apart and they have to rely mostly on communication to stay connected.
This style of dating is very common for those with overseas careers like seafarers and those within the military. It is hard, however it can work for people who value communication and trust and are willing to put in extra effort.
As I said above, dating looks different for everyone but as long as you are clear about what you want you can’t fail. It is always supposed to be about having fun and being true to who you are.
Date smartly and you will date happily!
