8 Things Casual Dating Can Teach You About Relationships
Casual relationships can be emotionally intense and volatile, but there's no better way to develop crucial relationship skills. Here are 8 things casual dating can teach you about relationships.
1. Always be available to talk about your feelings
When you're in a casual relationship, you're not typically in it for the long term. That means there are certain things that you just don't want to do. Like, say, talking about feelings.
But if you want to get better at having relationships, then learning how to talk about your feelings is key. And it's something that can be learned even in a casual dating situation—even if those situations aren't all that serious.
Because when it comes down to it, all relationships have the same basic rules: You both have needs; and you both need to understand each other's needs and meet them where possible. When you're in a casual relationship with someone who isn't interested in treating this like an actual commitment, there aren't any real consequences if you don't get what you need out of the situation—but when you do get what you need and learn how important it is for everyone involved? Well then maybe next time around (if there even is one), the person will actually care enough about making things work between them and their partner so they can be happy together too!
2. Date people who want to get married, not just people you're attracted to
Dating people who want to get married is a thing. It's not just a trend, or a fad, or even something you can do in your twenties and then never again. It's something that you have to keep doing if you want to have the best chance of finding long-term happiness—and we're not talking about dating people who are only looking for hookups or one-night stands. We're talking about people who are looking for marriage.
We know what you're thinking: “But I don't want to get married!” You might think that having a boyfriend/girlfriend would make us feel more comfortable with the idea of getting married, but it doesn't work like that. It's true that our relationship with our partner could impact how we approach marriage down the road, but until that happens, we need to keep an open mind and be willing to try out new things on our dates.
3. Don't compare your relationships with other people's relationships
When you're in a relationship, it can be tempting to want to compare your relationship with the other person's relationship. But what if you don't even know where they started from? What if they're different people than you?
When you start comparing your relationship with someone else's, you run into problems. You can start getting jealous of how much time they spend together, or how many dates they go on. It's also easy to think that if only I could just have those things in my own relationship, then I would be happy too! But this isn't true—you have to remember that your happiness depends on yourself and no one else!
4. Be vigilant about safety and consent
If you've been dating casually, it's likely that the idea of consent has never really crossed your mind until recently. You may have thought that because you didn't see your partner as anything more than a friend, or because you were afraid of scaring them off, that they would automatically be okay with everything you wanted to do. But consent is not just about having boundaries—it's also about respecting those boundaries and understanding what they mean.
That's why being vigilant about your partner's consent is so important in casual dating: if someone is uncomfortable with something, it's important to listen to their concerns and work with them on a solution (if possible) instead of pushing forward without giving their input. Taking this approach will help ensure that everyone feels safe and comfortable in any situation, and will make sure everyone involved feels respected.
5. Don't be afraid of being vulnerable with someone new
It's also about learning how to be vulnerable with someone new, so that you can find out if they're worth investing in. What does that mean? Well, it means that just because you're not looking for a long-term relationship doesn't mean you shouldn't be open to being vulnerable with someone new. You should try to be as honest as possible with them, without holding anything back. If they don't like it—that's not your problem!
Another thing is by being vulnerable with someone new, you'll give yourself the chance to see how your partner reacts when they're faced with something unexpected or uncomfortable for them. They might appreciate this kind of honesty from time to time, but others may not—especially if they're not used to it from their previous partners!
6. Figure out what kind of person you want to be in a relationship
The best thing about casual dating is that it helps you figure out what kind of person you want to be in a relationship. You can practice being the kind of person who can take care of themselves and make their own decisions, without worrying about what other people think.
When you're in a relationship, there's always going to be some pressure from friends and family members about when you're going to settle down or get married. But when you're casually dating, there isn't any pressure from anyone else. You don't have to think about what someone else will say if you break up with them or if they break up with you—you just need to take care of yourself and make sure that this person is good for your mental health.
Casual dating forces you to learn how to be independent and self-sufficient because it's not like being in a long-term relationship where both people are dependent on each other financially or emotionally. Instead, it's more like two friends hanging out who also happen to sleep together sometimes—they're both free agents and neither one has any obligation toward the other.
7. Make sure your partner has a strong support system
What does “strong support system” mean? It means that your partner has people who care about them and will help them through tough times—whether that means providing moral support or offering practical advice.
This kind of support doesn't just mean having friends and family members who are there for you if something goes wrong; it also means having people who want to know what's happening with you and can give their honest opinion. These types of relationships tend to be more sustainable than ones based on convenience or obligation.
People often don't think about how important it is for their partner to have a strong support system until they've experienced something like losing someone they care about suddenly or being unable to pay bills because they didn't realize they had bills at all because they were never told anything about them!
8. Find time for yourself during your relationship
It's easy to get caught up in the whirlwind of a new relationship and forget about taking care of yourself, but doing so can lead to burn out, resentment, and even depression.
In a casual dating relationship, you might find that it's easier to make time for yourself than it was in previous relationships. You don't have as much pressure on you to spend every waking moment together, so there isn't as much guilt associated with making plans with friends or family members.
You can date multiple people at once, if you want. However, this also means that you don't have the same kind of accountability that comes with having a primary partner. As such, casual dating isn't necessarily the best option for everyone, but it can be beneficial under certain circumstances.
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