Tips for Navigating Your Love Life On A Dating App

Love, that ethereal four-letter word.  A word that can invoke lust, dreaminess, and frustration. Most certainly never boring and oftentimes all consuming. We seek it when sometimes we shouldn’t, miss it when it’s gone, and embrace it when we find it.

In today’s world of dating apps – swiping left and right to narrow down the search for Mr. or Mrs. Right can be overwhelming. From someone who is currently dating online, I’ve put together my top 5 best tips for navigating the waters of online dating with the goal of finding true love. 

Have your priorities in order

Something we all should do, but sometimes don’t make the time for when it comes to our personal lives.  If you have time to fold the laundry, wash the car or walk the dog, you have time to have a cup of coffee with someone.  If you are truly looking for love, you should be open to meeting it head on. And on the flip side, the people you contact should be open to the same.  If not, they probably aren’t looking for the same thing, move on – there are enough people to keep us all smiling and in love.

Know thyself

This one can be tough.  Admitting you won’t date someone who doesn’t want children, or who has a dog can make your dating pond smaller, but the more honest you are with yourself, the easier it will be to connect with the right one.  In reverse, asking questions is also a good way to dig deeper into who the other person is, allowing you both to be honest about who you are and what you’re looking for.

Be fully present in the moment  

Message, Phone, Face to Face.  It matters not which communication mode is chosen, so long as you are fully present.  Now we all have lives, busy, full and sometimes crazy. If you truly are seeking love, you need to be fully present to find and experience it. On your next date, don’t check your Instagram feed when your date is across the table from you. Or when you’re on the phone with a potential date, try your best not to multi-task, this will only delay your response time and your date will ultimately know you’re not 100% dialed into the dialogue. 

Practice patience, understanding and forgiveness

With yourself and others.  This should be a character skill most of us have already mastered at this point. Be patient, if your soulmate doesn’t show up after you’ve been online for 3 months or understanding someone may need to cancel a date from time to time. The more you practice these virtues, the better dater you’ll become. Imagine all the smiles you’ll receive while you’re at it!

Laugh, laugh a lot

Life is too short to take everything and yourself too seriously. Don’t go into a date like you’re interviewing for your next job title. If you haven’t had the greatest of dates, laugh about it! At least you’ll have a great story to tell your friends.  Enjoy the ride!