10 Modern Dating Rules Everyone Should Follow

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Today’s dating culture differs vastly from even five years ago. Everything from texting etiquette to when to become intimate makes for a sometimes-confusing modern dating landscape. Consider these 10 modern dating “rules” to create a bit of a road map helping you reach your destination of a happy, healthy relationship more efficiently.

1. Before you venture to add someone else to your life, be sure you have cleaned your own emotional closets. Nothing destroys even the strongest of connections as pursuing love from a broken place.

2. If there is someone you are interested in, make the move. Too often we place importance on things that simply hold no meaning. Waiting for him to approach you is no more significant than if you were to approach him. Life rewards the brave and self sufficient.

3. Be you; leave your representative at home on your date. All too often we are so afraid of making a bad impression or their not liking us that we end up putting on a front when we are on a date. By being authentic you allow them to get to know the full you-not just the parts you feel keen to show.

4. Do not use communication as a weapon. There are no rules for when or whom should contact after a date. If you want to reach out and express gratitude or enjoyment at the time spent together do so! Do not withhold communication or fail to follow up until a certain amount of time has passed as a means of playing a game or otherwise gain the upper hand.

5. Obnoxiousness is not sexy. While open communication is important, this does not mean that you should send eight messages for his one. There is nothing more annoying then having several messages that have been sent before you can even reply to one.

6. Invest in yourself. All too often we enter into a new connection and become consumed by it. We stop visiting our friends and doing the things that lend fortification to our foundation. You must maintain a life that is entirely your own and offers you support outside of a relationship.

7. Being Facebook friends is great. Stalking their Facebook page is NOT cool. I totally get the hunger to know someone better, especially at the beginning of a connection. Nothing is creepier, however, than Facebook stalking a potential mate. It’s far more fun to allow a natural mysteriousness that comes with slowly getting to know someone rather than overdosing on Facebook status updates over the last five years.

8. Hold the sex. While this may not seem all that modern, it can be when taken in context of current trends. These days more relationships start from what were once casual affairs—meaning that the sex came before anything else. While there is nothing wrong with this per say, it does complicate things when we introduce the hormone surge from physical intimacy that can sometimes cloud our vision and make us more inclined to make choices based on innate chemical responses then true potential.

9. Date for the fun of it, not the destination. While marriage and children is just as much a modern concept as a traditional one, it’s important to not approach every single date as though you are interviewing a potential life partner. A sense of spaciousness where the journey is just as much appreciated as a potential destination makes for a much more fun, relaxed and enjoying dating experience.

10. Honor yourself first and foremost. Ultimately the term “rules” implies that there is only one right way to date; something which I do not subscribe to. Honoring what you feel is right for you in any given moment is ultimately the sure fire way to ensure you have an enjoyable dating experience. Take time to pause and center yourself to see how your body and internal guidance system are calling you. Trust that internal guide and know it will be your greatest ally in creating healthy and lasting relationships.

Ready for conscious, like-minded individuals you really want to meet?

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You Might Also Like These by MeetMindful On The Good Men Project

A Man’s View: How Important is Sex in a Relationship?

How Do I Stop Mistaking Chemistry for True Connection?

Love After a Narcissist: Learn to Trust & Date Again

5 Fears That Keep Us Single

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This article was originally published on MeetMindful and is republished here with permission.

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Laura Brown is a Colorado based Intuitive Alchemist, healer and Magic Maker. She runs Intuitive Alchemy, a sanctuary for intuitive readings and coaching. Stay up to date through her Facebook page and receive free daily intuitive tarot readings by following her on Instagram.
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