The Self-Care Guide to Dating Success
We’ve said it once, and we’ll say it again: the search for love starts with you. Cultivate love in and for yourself first. Then, when a well-suited romantic prospect comes along, you’ll recognize it, welcome it, and have the tools to build a healthy relationship.
But how do you go about that? It all starts with self-care.
Practicing self-care when dating is particularly important because the foods you eat and how you treat your body directly impact your emotional and mental stability, physical health, and dating success. When you feel complete, you’re empowered to find good love for yourself.
If you’re unsure how to practice self-care, we’re here to make sense of it all for you. We’ve created a helpful guide below to showcase the importance of self-care and encourage you to create your own self-care routine while searching for love.
Start incorporating these practices today to lead yourself toward dating success.
Get Enough Sleep
Dating can take a lot out of you, so getting a sufficient amount of quality sleep is one of the best things you can do for yourself. If you don’t have energy, you can’t handle what the day throws at you, whether that’s swiping on the apps or going on a dinner date after work.
To help improve your sleep, wind down with a cup of soothing chamomile tea, power off all of your electronics and work materials for the evening, and make sure your bedroom is a calm and quiet place for you to rest. You could even try doing some gentle stretches or drawing a bath before bed to help you further relax.
Eat Healthy Foods
Eating a healthy and well-balanced diet is another aspect of self-care when dating. Healthy eating can serve to improve your energy, allow you to concentrate better throughout the day, and support your personal development and self-confidence. Even though making healthy decisions can sometimes feel like an uphill battle, especially when you’re experiencing dating fatigue or blissfully enjoying the early stages of a new relationship, nourishing your body no matter what’s happening in your love life is crucial.
Date Yourself
One of our favorite pieces of dating advice involves learning to date yourself. The first part of dating yourself means getting to know yourself and discovering what makes you tick, just as you would with someone you’re starting to date. What makes you happy? What excites you? What relationship goals do you have? And what values are important to you? When you truly understand yourself, you’ll have a better time attracting others who are compatible.
The second part of dating yourself involves pampering yourself! Take yourself to your favorite restaurant, buy yourself flowers, treat yourself to a box of chocolate, and even write yourself love letters. This stage is all about appreciating yourself and accepting your own love, support, and gratitude. The more you learn to accept this kind of treatment from yourself, the more you’ll expect it from those you date.
Take Care of Yourself
No one should take the importance of self-care lightly. After all, when you’re not prioritizing your self-care, your health and hygiene may take a back seat. Maybe you stayed out too late on your back-to-back dates and didn’t take a shower. Or perhaps you spent all day in your PJs on the dating apps and forgot to brush your teeth. While it’s okay for this to happen once in a blue moon, try not to make it a habit. Instead, take a shower, wash your face, brush your teeth, comb your hair, and put on clean clothes on a daily basis.
Make Time for Mindfulness
At the end of each day, set aside time, whether a quick 15 minutes or a full hour, to engage with your body in some way. For many, yoga is an incredibly soothing and healthy physical activity known to help reduce stress and improve circulation, while others prefer to meditate. Even just sitting in a quiet room and closing your eyes for a few minutes can do wonders for your mind, body, and spirit. Whatever you choose, be sure to prioritize this time for yourself to help restore your peace at the end of a stressful or uncomfortable day.
Journal
Journaling is another one of our favorite self-care activities. Designate a special notebook for jotting down all your thoughts and feelings. Don’t edit yourself—just allow the words to flow directly onto the page. Writing is a great way to work through things that are on your mind and process things from your past. To make it a routine, write a few pages every morning before you start your day and write a few more as you’re winding down for bed.
Do Things That Bring You Joy
Did you know self-care when dating includes simply doing the things you love to do? That’s right. Partaking in the hobbies that bring you joy can lower your stress levels and improve your mood, making you happier and healthier all around. Reminding yourself to engage in these activities is important because they’re often the first thing to get knocked off your to-do list when you’re busy, stressed, or tired.
We recommend prioritizing your favorite activities when you’re dating because they can help keep you grounded and in touch with what you enjoy. Make time to ride your bike, garden, write music, play soccer, or stroll around the park a few times a week to keep your spirits up while on your journey to finding love.
Go at Your Own Pace
Aside from keeping up with your physical health, there is more to self-care when dating. You also need to pay attention to your mental health. Check in with yourself and assess your feelings about your dating journey. After all, if you’re feeling stressed, burned out, discouraged, or uninterested, it’s probably not going to make you a very fun person to date in the first place.
Therefore, it’s essential to take note of your mental state and realize that you can go at your own pace and even take a break if you want. You don’t have to go on ten dates a week, and it’s okay if you need to put the dating apps down for a bit.
Remember, you want to put your best self forth, and won’t be that version of yourself unless you take the time to practice self-care when dating.
