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- Part of practising healthy dating habits is recognising that you must honour your feelings.
- Here are 6 things to keep in mind when practising self-care while dating.
- Don't feel obligated to keep talking to someone you went on one date with if you aren't interested in them.
Dating etiquette is all part of human courtesy but should never leave you uncomfortable and afraid to say no. Part of practising healthy dating habits is recognising that you must honour your feelings before putting someone else first. For instance, if you don't want to date, you should not force yourself to because the other person insists.
This may be challenging to navigate because some people date from a place of desperation. Thus, they may not be able to gauge when something feels off.
Founder of Miingle Matchmaking and life coach Michelle de Lange says that when dating, practice self-care to safeguard your mental and emotional well-being.
READ MORE | 'I was teased and belittled but now I know I am all the love and acceptance I need'
6 things to keep in mind when practising self-care while dating
-Don't force yourself to go on dates you aren't genuinely excited about.
-Don't feel obligated to keep talking to someone you went on one date with if you aren't interested in them.
-Recognise when someone adds value to your life versus just validation.
-Be honest with yourself about how fast you're comfortable moving and set boundaries.
-Make people put in the effort to be part of your life; don't chase them around trying to convince them how great you are.
-The bottom line is that you should respect yourself enough to choose the thing that will protect your mental and emotional well-being, even if it means letting go of a couple of relationships.
READ MORE | Self-love is constant work and not an automatic state of being- here's how to put it into practice
In a previous article we published, life coach Thembi Hama said self-love is constant work, not an automatic state of being.
"We practise self-love because we become functional, effective and progressive people. "When you love yourself, you are confident, assertive, discerning, can have healthy relationships, can complement others, are self-respecting and can thrive career-wise," she said.
Adding that, it leads to self-confidence because you accept who you are and nurture yourself. Regardless of what others say or do around you, you feel comfortable in your skin, affirm yourself, and do not need external validation.
"People who lack confidence are not in touch with themselves and therefore need outside approval or permission to exist. Their life experiences are limited."
