Feeling The Dating Burnout? — 5 Ways To Deal & Reset

Swiping, rejection, annoying situationships, and horrible dates…dating can really suck sometimes. Rounds of unsuccessful outings can drain your mental and emotional well-being, making you feel like you’ll never find the one. After a while, it’s normal to fall victim to dating burnout, which is fatigue to the point where looking for love feels exhausting.

Sometimes you need to take a break and step back from all the romance. The path to love can sometimes be irritating and cause anxiety, but it shouldn’t steal your joy. So if you feel like finding love has become a chore, or you’ve hit an emotional wall, we’ve found five ways to help you overcome the frustration and recenter.

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1. Be Choosey

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Think about what you want in a partner, your non-negotiables, and what attracts you to a person. After understanding your true expectations, you can lead your dating life with genuine intentions, resulting in a better dating experience overall. 

A good way to protect your heart and mind from burnout is to conserve your energy for when it counts. With dating apps, the dating pool can feel like a smorgasbord of new connections and interactions. Still, dating isn’t a numbers game, but rather a game of quality. Minimize those interactions by being picky and more intentional about what you want in a partner. This helps you avoid wasting your time and energy on people you’re not compatible with.

2. Go Touch Grass

It’s so easy to fall into a loop of disappointing dates. It can start to feel like an unfulfilling job and mess with your head and heart, leaving you annoyed yet locked into finding the next best thing. Take a break and put that dating app on snooze.

Spend time with your friends and family for the week (or month) and do things less tied to your romantic journey. It’ll help you feel less overwhelmed and refocus on yourself and the other important things in your life. 

3. Take Yourself Out

In the words of Lori Harvey, “Just remember, you are the prize,” and you deserve to be treated as such, especially by yourself. Maybe you’ve been on a couple of dates where the conversation was trash, the food was horrible, or they made paying the bill a super weird situation. Cleanse yourself of those negative experiences by spoiling yourself. 

Instead of waiting for someone to take you out, go on a solo date to your favorite restaurant or a nice place you’ve always wanted to try. Not only is this guaranteed fun, but it’s also a sweet way to remind yourself of what you deserve.

4. Be Open To Making More Friends

Every date won’t turn into a romantic partnership, and that’s OK. Instead of viewing that as a waste of time, consider it an opportunity to make new friends. Let’s be clear: We don’t mean to turn these connections into situationships, but actual friendships if the other person is willing. They may not be the one, but they might be a great networking opportunity or the perfect person to invite to a game night.

Unfortunately, not everyone will be down to be your friend, but you can release the stress of finding the one by opening yourself up to the possibility that they might. This helps dating feel less like a time suck and more like a chance to add more positivity and love to your life. 

5.  Avoid Situationships

The person you go out with may not be the man you’ve been waiting for, so as a form of consolation, you opt to give him the less demanding job of being your boyfriend. And while there’s nothing wrong with building a roster for cuddle buddies *wink wink*, not everyone is built for a “no strings attached” lifestyle. If you’re not that girl, that’s OK, but it’s important to clock it. Save yourself the emotional toll and steer clear of half-a–ed commitments. While some people can manage intimacy without involving emotions or creating expectations, others can’t. 

Dating is a marathon, not a race, so it requires pacing, breaks, and commitment. Try your best to enjoy the journey!

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