Good & Healthy Relationship Advice & Tips

Congratulations! You’ve made it past the casual stage, and you’re now in a relationship. New relationships are scary and exciting, and they are also incredibly fun because you’re getting to know each other.

At the same time, it can also be very challenging, since you really don’t know the other person, how they operate, and what makes them tick. Yet. Although there is no set formula to ensure your new relationship is going to make it past a certain point, avoiding these dating mistakes will help you out.

1. Don’t overdo or rush it

New relationships can cause you to get in over your head: All you want to do is spend all your time with your partner and give up everything else in your life — friends, hobbies, family, your dog, etc. New relationships are intoxicating, and you should by all means enjoy every minute of it. However, don’t take it too far — while it’s fun to lose yourself in your new S.O., you become in danger of losing yourself. Find a balance, because at the end of the day, there’s no rush.

2. Don’t hold back

A new relationship is scary, especially when it comes to revealing your true self to another person. What if they don’t accept you for who you are? New relationships are an exquisite dance of baring our emotions and vulnerabilities to another person who we don’t know incredibly well but really care about. If you share too much, maybe they’ll see something they don’t like or find attractive, and then reject you. However, sharing too little is just as big of a dating mistake. You partner will be able to sense this. We’re all afraid at the beginning of a new relationship, but you should step up and be the brave one.

3. Enough with the games

You’re in a relationship now. You don’t have to play games; you’re past that stage (although you should never really play games, they’re foolish). Maybe you’ll hold off on calling or texting back, and if something upsets you, you’ll back away and not talk about it. If you do any of these things, you’re doing a great job at potentially sabotaging your relationship. Communication is the key to any successful relationship, and learning how to communicate with your S.O. is one of the best things you can do.

4. Be yourself

Remember, you are your own person and should not change who you are because you think it’s expected of you or it’s verbalized that you do so. If that’s the case, you are definitely with the wrong person. Your entire person, including your personality, the way you think and speak, what you wear etc. is specific to you. Do not lose your uniqueness, and do not give up on those wonderful things just to please another person — nor should you expect that of them.

5. Don’t get lazy

Remember how nice and thoughtful you were when you started dating your S.O.? Don’t stop that and don’t get too comfortable too quickly. The fun of a new relationship lies in the fact that you have not settled into a routine just yet. Don’t be so quick to fall into one.

6. Let your crazy rest

We all have weird single behaviors that we engage in that make us feel good. This is not something you should reveal all at once but slowly as time goes on. I’m not saying don’t be yourself but allow the pieces to reveal themselves little by little. These quirks are nothing major, rather things you’re just in the habit of doing.