The times when dating was exclusively for young people is very old news. People nowadays live longer; the quality of life is also if only little by little. Older people have more free time and there are a lot of single and healthy seniors who can still have a romantic life. And the number of single seniors has grown. Compared to the 60’s the percentage of single people age 45 and above has grown almost by 10 percent and was at 39 percent in 2010. A more recent study in 2016 showed that there are more than 19 million single US residents out there. That’s a huge demographic.
Starting dating after a long break can be pretty hard. It is especially hard for seniors because many things have changed. That shouldn’t discourage you. There’s nothing you can’t get up-to-date with.
Of course, you would probably have some bad dates. That is almost inevitable, but we will try to tell you about the most common dating mistakes seniors make. Hopefully, that will help you to keep the number of those bad dates to the minimum. So, let’s check several dating rules for seniors.
Don’t get stuck in the past
If your last date was several decades ago, you’ll have some catching up to do. Do not think that dating remained the same through all these years. From searching for a date to picking a place and the appropriate behavior on a date. Read some modern advice, make some small changes according to your age and preferences and try a bit more modern approach to dating.
Do not compare your date to your ex
It is completely understandable that you might be inclined to compare your potential partners to your ex, especially if you had a long and happy life together. But remember that you’re not looking for a spare part. You meet unique people so treat them like accordingly. You experience is a useful tool but don’t let it cloud your judgment.
“I’m too old for this stuff”
That’s the worst attitude to have when starting senior dating. Yes, you are older than you were when you dated before but that doesn’t mean that you should deny yourself some absolutely normal pleasures. There is no law that prohibits older people from dancing or flirting or having sex. Just relax and be happy. There are not that many things you are really too old to do.
Trying to recreate the past love
This mistake often happens with people who tragically lost their long-term partner. People are yearning to find the same chemistry in a new relationship and that almost never happens. Every relationship is different and if you are ready to start dating again you should look for that novelty, not trying to step into the same river for a second time.
Do not ignore the power of the Internet
Remember we talked about the changes in modern dating compared to the older ways? One of the biggest differences is online dating. There are a lot of websites for people who are looking to start living a romantic life. Some of them, like DoYouLike, even have special sections for seniors! Check DoULikeSenior and you’ll see how many people of your age are looking for partners. Do not underestimate this opportunity and at least try it. Maybe you’ll get over your fears or uneasiness and you’ll get a great tool for finding friends and quite probably a new love. If you still feel uneasy about all that online dating stuff, try to get in touch with people you already know. That might help you to make the transition from just texting with someone you know to text strangers online.
Only viewing profiles of really good-looking men
Talking about online dating, don’t get your hopes up too much and don’t take it too close to heart. It would be not the best idea to start writing to only very good-looking men. Not that you do not deserve it, but it can discourage you from using online dating. Rejections is an absolutely normal thing here and to reduce the sense of uneasiness it raises you should prioritize writing to people with the same interests. It’s much better to start your online dating experience with talking to someone you actually have a lot of common with.
Emailing non-stop
If you are not looking for a pen pal and are really looking forward to starting a new relationship, you should get close and personal as soon as possible. If you’ll start emailing endlessly you might get stuck on this step and never move forward. Don’t forget why you started it. With all the benefits of online dating, you can’t really say that you know a person if you’ve never met in person.
Giving up prematurely
Older people tend to stop trying finding a partner online after a first failure or if it takes more time they expect. Mostly that happens because older people are usually not very used to leaving their social circle and they tend to hang out with people they’ve already known for some time. Try not to be such a person. Be more open to new experiences and do not give up too soon. You never know what you’ll find if you show some dedication.
Senior dating is a perfectly normal thing nowadays. You shouldn’t be nervous or uncomfortable if you want to have a romantic life. In this day and age, only a very small number of people would look at this with condemnation. Be more open to new things, try new methods of meeting and talking to people. There is a very good chance that you won’t get disappointed considering how many single seniors there are. There is definitely someone looking just for you out there! I hope these bits of advice will help you to begin a successful romantic life again. Don’t hesitate and start acting right now!
Image source:
https://cdn.pixabay.com/photo/2016/04/26/23/35/bench-1355620_1280.jpg
