Dating can be a draining experience and when you start finding yourself dreading the whole process, from putting on makeup and doing your hair to spending the evening with some random guy you met on Tinder, you may have dating burnout. Even if you love dating, you may find yourself in this slump. And while you shouldn’t feel like you ever have to force yourself to go on a date if you really don’t want to, there are some things you can do to get over that hump when you’re ready.
To convince yourself it’s worth it to leave the house for another date, forget dating to find the love of your life, or even looking to have chemistry with someone. Instead, reframe your expectations and try dating for the plot. As in change the metrics you measure the success of a date by and go just to get a good story out of it. You need to find a reason to get excited about a first date again and switching things up like this can do it.
- Go on a date with someone who isn’t your usual type - We all think we know what we want in a partner, but being picky could filter out someone you may genuinely click with. Dating the same type of person over and over is bound to get boring, so turn off your dating app filters for a week and try a date with someone different.
- Go out with someone who checks one of your most obscure, totally trivial boxes - Love a Scottish accent? Always wanted to know what it was like to date someone way older or younger? Now’s your chance to indulge that minor turn-on you’re curious about.
- Date someone who’s sorta famous - Maybe it’s a comedian who’s years away from their shot at a Netflix special, or an actor who was on one episode of a show you watched years ago. Think G-level fame, or someone you can brag to your besties about, but only with context.
- Date our worst possible match, according to astrology - Even if you don’t read your horoscope daily and look to the stars for guidance in your love life, experiment with dating someone who’s the sign that’s your astrological nemesis.
- Go out with anyone who will take you to a specific place you want to go - Go check out that show you want to see before it closes or have a drink at that new bar. Even if it’s awful, you’ll get to do that thing you wanted to do.
- Be a plus one for someone’s cool plans - Maybe it’s an extra ticket to the ballet or someone’s brother’s wedding. Remember, it’s all about collecting experiences when you’re dating for the plot.
Source: Cosmo
Scott's Thoughts:
- When your dating objective is just to have a good story to tell at brunch, it takes the pressure off!
- Ever been in a dating slump? How have you successfully pulled yourself out of it?
- Have you ever gone on a date with anyone suggested here? How did it go?