7 Signs You’re Ready for a New Relationship (and to Start Dating Again)

Am I ready for a new relationship? Is it time I begin dating again? How do I tell if I’m not ready? These are just some of the questions I hear from women who have ended a painful relationship...

We’ve all been hurt by bad breakups that left us feeling that we would never be able to move on with our lives. However, over time, we do all move on, however slowly. Because of this, there comes a point where we may question whether we are ready for a new relationship. 

Listed below are signs that will make you realize whether you are ready to move on and if you can love someone other than your ex.

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Am I Ready For A Relationship? How Do I Know?

We’ve put together a definitive list of signs that it’s time for you to start dating again.

1. You don’t think much about your ex

Maybe the biggest indicator that you’re ready to start over with someone new is that you don’t think about your ex very often or at all. There are many people who start up a new relationship before they are fully over their ex. If you still think about your ex frequently, then you are probably not over them or your relationship yet. The fact that you are no longer thinking about that person at all may mean that you are ready to start life without them and move on. 

2. You Feel Happy

We are usually sad, lost, and depressed following a breakup. A good sign you’ve moved on from an ex and are ready for someone else is when you’re happy and content. If you ask yourself honestly whether or not your life has changed since your last relationship, you’ll know for sure. If you have been able to find happiness, you may feel that you are capable of dating or even loving someone again. Regardless of the outcome, you have taken a huge step forward if you’re happy and it shows that you’re far more capable of leading a fulfilling life going forward. 

3. You are considering having sex with other men

We all become antsy after a breakup at some point. This is because our source of constant sex has dried up, so our thoughts may drift toward having intercourse. When you think about sex, you will not imagine having sex with your ex when you are ready for a new relationship. Instead, your thoughts will turn to having sex with others. You are signaling that you have moved on from your past romantic life and have reached a point where you could make a go of it with someone else. 

4. Finding other people attractive

If you force the issue, you won’t be able to move on after a breakup. If you look around at others and find them attractive, you can tell if you’re ready for another romantic connection. You are preparing yourself to like another person and be with someone else if this is the case. When you find other people attractive, it is a reflexive indicator of your readiness to make a go of it with another partner. You cannot force attraction, so if you feel the pull of it towards a person who is not your ex, then you might be ready for a new relationship. 

5. It doesn’t matter that your ex is dating someone else

Your feelings will be hurt if you see your ex with someone else when you’re not over the breakup. When you are over the things that transpired between you and your ex, and you are ready for a relationship, you won’t mind seeing them with someone else. It simply won’t matter to you. The good news is that the hurt and pain that brought about the breakup has subsided, and you are ready to move on. 

6. Breakup no longer hurts as much as it used to

When we are not ready to move on and start a new relationship, one of the main reasons is that all the hurt from the end of our previous relationship is still very much present. When you’re still in pain from your breakup and thinking about your ex, it’s impossible to start over with someone. Therefore, rather than start a new relationship, you should take the time to deal with the pain you are experiencing and find ways to move on from it. You will also be setting yourself up for success with someone else if you do that. 

7. Another person has caught your eye

It is important to determine if you have a crush on someone and if you get excited about seeing that one person every time you see them when you aren’t sure if you are ready for a relationship or not. There is no way we can ever control our crushes, no matter how hard we try, which is why it is a good sign that you are ready for a relationship. The reason is because there is someone in the world with whom you have a connection and chemistry. If you have a crush on someone, no matter if that crush is reciprocated or not, then you are ready to be romantically involved with that person as well. 

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And here are 13 extra critical key signs you need to pay close attention to:

1. You feel like dating

We can often stop wanting to date others for a long time after ending a relationship with a person with whom we are in love. An indication that you are ready to love another person is if you actively want to date other people. In fact, you may feel that this is a need you must satisfy. Don’t be afraid to do so. It’s a great way to end a past relationship once and for all and can even lead to finding your next love. 

2. You’re tired of being single

Despite many people around the world not liking to be single, there is a period of time after a breakup where you also feel that you need to be alone. When we are in love and when we are in a relationship, it can take up so much of our lives, that we need to take some time to be single so that we can breath. Therefore, if you don’t want to be single anymore, that’s a good sign that you’ve moved on from that stage. 

3. You’ve healed emotionally

We are often unable to start new relationships when we are not emotionally ready to do so. It is common to feel this way after a breakup that hurt us deeply. This can cause you to be afraid of committing to another person, or it can cause you to doubt your ability to love someone else. However, after a while, those feelings tend to fade away. During this time, you will find that you are healing emotionally, which means that you are no longer hesitant to open yourself up to another person or relationship. 

4. Commitment Is What You Want

Obviously, it is possible that you are not getting over a bad breakup, but maybe you are simply ready for a relationship because the first time in your life, you are ready to love and commit to someone. Many people eventually stop wanting to flit from one date to the next, or from one superficial relationship to the next. Instead, they want to be with just one person, someone that they love and need in their lives. 

5. You Feel Jealous When Other People Date

You may be jealous of your friends who are dating after you are over an ex and ready to start a new relationship. A feeling of jealousy is usually a manifestation of our desire for what someone else has. If you are jealous of your friends or acquaintances who have an active dating life, you can take this to mean that you are ready to start dating and start a new relationship with someone you meet as a result.

6. You’ve been single for quite some time

You may be ready for love and a relationship with another partner even if you have been single for a long time. The reason is because sometimes we fall into habits without even realizing and begin living our lives in a certain way we don’t question. Many people get into the habit of being single and do not know how to get out of it. In addition, they sometimes aren’t sure if they really want to be single anymore. If you have been single for a long time and aren’t sure whether or not you are ready for a long-term or even short-term relationship, the answer could well be yes.

7. You wish you had children

According to your age and the stage you are at in your life, you may want to be in a relationship so you can have kids. Having kids is a big decision, and it should only be taken after carefully considering the implications from all angles. However, if you still want kids, and you feel happy and content in yourself – it might be a sign that you are also ready for a long-term relationship. The work of raising a child is challenging no matter how much you love them, so having a partner to share that hard work with can be a life-changing experience. 

8. Flings no longer satisfy you

If you are already dating, but going from guy to guy or girl to girl does not satisfy you anymore, then you may be ready for a relationship. Dating is a great way to meet new people and experience different types of personalities. You can learn who you are and what you want from a life partner by doing this. Dating and flings can also be fun for a while, either when you’re young or after a breakup. After a while, however, you may find that they don’t fulfill your romantic needs anymore, and that is when you may find that you’re ready to find the one. 

9. To feel complete, you don’t need a partner

It is oddly enough that people who are ready to be in a relationship are those who are happy when they are alone and feel complete. Relationships are often viewed from the wrong perspective, believing they can only find fulfillment once they have a wife, husband, or long-term partner. Healthy and happy relationships develop when the partners are at their happiest on their own. It is because they aren’t seeking validation from a relationship, and as a result aren’t desperate to make any and all relationships work. 

10. Your self-confidence is strong

A person who is ready for love will already be confident in their own abilities and self-esteem, so they will not need a partner to feel whole. A lack of confidence in yourself can result in you losing yourself if you start a serious relationship with a prospective partner. In the long run, this will result in an unbalanced and unhappy relationship. 

11. When you are with a particular person, you act differently

If you are currently dating someone, you may find you are ready for a serious commitment if you act differently around them compared to the other people you date. You may even feel differently around them as well. You may be falling in love with them if they make you feel good about yourself or just make you feel comfortable. 

12. It Seems Like You’re Happy To Go With The Flow

In a desperate attempt to be in a long-term relationship, some people will convince themselves that they are in love with anyone they are dating. Alternatively, if you are happy to just go with the flow and see where the dates go with someone you are seeing, it might be that you are ready to be in a relationship with them. If you both feel the same way about each other, going with the flow is a sign of confidence. 

13. You’re willing to compromise

A key signal that you are in a serious lifelong relationship with someone you feel you can love or like is that you are more than willing to compromise with them to make them happy. This is a sign of maturity, as well as that you want to have an adult relationship where the two of you support each other. 

FAQs

How Do You Tell If You’re Not Ready For A Relationship?

It’s important to ask yourself whether you are ready for a new relationship. You won’t be able to know if you’re really over your ex until then. If you realize you need more time, you’ll know that you have a few things to do first. 

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Is there a way I can prepare for a relationship?

Allow yourself the time and space to heal from the hurt you have experienced in the past so that you can move forward with someone else. Be sure to handle any emotional baggage that may cause difficulties for you and your new partner. 

How Can You Tell Whether You Are Mature Enough For A Relationship?

You need to be willing to make the sacrifices and compromises necessary for a healthy and successful relationship if you are ready for commitment. In a relationship, you will be able to make those sacrifices or compromises easier if you are emotionally mature enough.

Is not being ready for a relationship an excuse?

Hearing that you are not ready for a relationship can seem like an excuse to the person hearing it. It is, however, a valid reason if you are telling the truth. If you have not truly moved on from an ex though, you could cause a new partner a lot of hurt if you aren’t ready to be in a relationship. 

What’s the right time to give up a relationship?

We often have a lot of love or respect for the people we date, so giving up on a relationship is never easy. Nevertheless, if you do not feel like you have fully moved on from your ex, it may be time to end things with your new partner. 

Final words 

Does any of this sound familiar to you? If that is the case, you may be ready for a relationship. The person you are looking for may already exist or you might be ready to start dating so that you can find them. In either case, remember to have fun and to keep in mind that being in a relationship should bring the majority of the time happiness and satisfaction.

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