Divorce is a truly traumatic experience, which makes you get disappointed by your partner and people in general. People might think with dread about how to start dating after divorce. The confidence can also turn out to be lower than before.

Whatever the reason was for stopping the previous relationship, it’s not an easy process for going through. So before jumping into dating other people again, you must be sure about your readiness to do so as well as feel confident enough. Everything considering romance also appears different from what it was like years ago.

If you find yourself ready to try the waters and maybe get into a relationship again, we have got some advice. Not only will it help get prepared for love affairs again, but also be good for maintaining the romance you get into after divorce.

1. Wait long enough

After all the papers are signed by both sides, you definitely need some time to get over actions that took place recently. There is no set time frame on when to get back to dating after your divorce. Everything depends on how hard the process was for you personally, how emotionally involved you were as well as just personality and mental endurance. For some people a couple of weeks or months is more than enough, others step back from dating for a year or even more.

If you feel deeply wounded by breaking up your marriage, take your time on healing. Don’t bring instability in feelings into a new relationship.

Dating is more than just romantic communication between two people. It is a process of welcoming another person into your everyday life and forming a strong connection. No matter if you plan on a long-term commitment or not, feelings play an important role.

Don’t step back from your point of view when society starts pushing you into relationships. Nobody else can know for sure how long to wait to date after divorce. Being put off by the only thought of going on a date is how you know for sure you are not ready yet. But when the idea of associating with somebody comes naturally, that is when you can give it a chance. Remember, if it doesn’t feel right during the rendezvous it may be a sign to get more time and give it another try later. Nowadays lots of people start dating over 30 or later because no one is forced to jump into new relationships after being hurt.

2. Process your past relationship

People often choose one spouse to blame for the divorce, when both of them can be guilty.

• Digest everything you went through during the time of your marriage;
• Analyse both good and bad sides of it, as well as your and your partner’s actions;
• Think about the feelings that interactions with a spouse called;
• If you are not sure about the ability to do it all by yourself, don’t fear going to a therapist or psychologist: it’s just for the sake of making you feel well.

Relationship analysis is vital when you think about dating again. You should understand which behavioural patterns led to your divorce once so that you avoid them with a new person. If you understand it was partially or fully your fault that marriage didn’t last, don’t waste time blaming yourself and drowning in self-destruction. It is a chance for overlooking your actions and not bring them to a new affair. This can let you build a strong and deep connection in the future.

3. Be interested in dating

You might have a desire to jump straight into dating right after you left a lawyer in the status of a divorcee. But think carefully about the reasons for doing so before you make a serious step. Oftentimes people decide on finding a new relationship too soon because they don’t like the feeling of loneliness and being desperate to escape it they find a person to accompany.

You can easily check if you are really interested in dating if you are attentive to a person. Trying to fill up the emptiness, you don’t care about who is the man or woman, neither pay attention to their interests or emotions. The sole idea of it all is running away from being left alone.

Wait until the moment you find a person that sparks a light inside of you.

You will see how certain traits of character amuse you and you feel the need to spend as much time as possible doing the activities together. It’s a feeling impossible to mistake with anything else, so just wait patiently until you fall for somebody.

4. Get to know yourself better

Sometimes an intense relationship between a husband and a wife makes a person forget who they really are.

Marriage often takes away the ability to enjoy hobbies and spend time alone. Get some time for getting back to the stage when you are a person again but not a compliment to somebody else.

Remember the time before the wedding and things you enjoyed. Maybe now is the time to get back to your favourite activities. Don’t forget about trying new things - for example, you could have always wanted to learn surfing or start cross-stitching, but never actually had time for it.

Knowing your own preferences is not only good for your mental state but also helps in relationships. A person with a stable opinion on things is fun to be around and pleasant to discuss things with. Being sure about your own interests is also a chance to find a partner who likes the same activities, which will allow you to spend more time together and always have a topic to communicate on, as well as be happy for your significant other’s achievements.

5. Give a chance to online dating

After years of marriage there might not be many single people left around. Friends and acquaintances already get a family they spend the most time with and if you end up being invited to a social event, people come with their spouse. In such circumstances finding a partner is tricky, so lots of people dating over 40 prefer online dating services to find their partners.

Online dating may be a good chance for it. It broadens your horizons from the stable circle of people you have around to a wide and variable world of singles who search for a date as well. If you don’t end up on a romantic dinner, you might just find a good new friend.

Also dating online often seems easier and less awkward than the real thing. There is an opportunity of thinking everything over before saying anything, as well as do a quick research of a profile in social media so that you find more things in common.

The secret to success in online dating is being yourself and behaving the way you do in real life. Not expecting the first person to be a perfect match helps too - it’s not the thing while being acquainted in person, why expect it online. Remember to actually go and meet a person sometimes. If people start developing feelings, online interactions are no longer enough to maintain the connection.

6. Be positive

After divorce getting suspicious about other people is natural. Women often give atrocious commentaries on men, while males expect ladies to only want their money. It’s not the right mood to go on dates with, as while your partner is genuinely willing to know you better, you expect him or her to show “the true nature” which is true only in your imagination.

Remember, you had bad dates back in the time before marriage. That didn’t make any change in the opinion about finding love.

Divorce shouldn’t change the opinion of people as well. Think optimistically, check if there is any reason to be distrustful from the very start. Accept the chance of failure but don’t concentrate on it solely. There is the whole world open for you if a date doesn’t happen to be what you are seeking for.