How To Navigate Online Dating

Just because we’re women of a certain age, that doesn’t mean that online dating is out of our league. Quite the contrary, online dating is a great way to find companionship, friendship, and lifetime loves. Here are some tips on how to navigate online dating.

How You Got Here Doesn’t Matter; It’s Where You’re Going That Counts!

You may have been divorced recently or just waiting for the right person. Maybe you’re widowed and don’t want to spend the rest of your long life alone. However, you got to this point—where you’re navigating dating—it doesn’t matter. What matters is how you proceed from here. The most important thing is to remember that online dating doesn’t have to be scary. Just make sure you have an open mind, basic goals you want to achieve when looking for potential partners and a basic familiarity with the Internet and websites. Then get ready to leave your baggage behind follow all the online dating etiquette and get on a new road to a new adventure.

Be Sure You’re In The Right Place

There are TONS of different online websites, but the reality is…they’re not all for you. Nor are they where you’ll want to find potential partners. Don’t mess with Tindr or Bumble. They’re not who you’re looking for and they take way too much work to weed through the mess of fake profiles and immaturity. Instead, consider sites like eHarmony, Match.com and EliteSingles. We also like over-50 sites like Stitch.net and OurTime.com. These sites are more probable for you to find like-minded potential partners, and isn’t that the goal in the first place?

Be Honest.

You don’t want someone puffing themselves up only for you to be disappointed, and no one wants that from you. Of course, put your best foot forward. Choose a photo that you love, but don’t pretend to be something you are not. There are many people who will add online filters, and camera tricks to look younger, tanner, or fitter. Why start a potential relationship on a note of dishonesty? The best way to navigate online dating is to be honest and open about who you
are and what it is that you’re looking for.

Prioritize Safety

This is one of the most significant dating tips for women! Remember, your  your safety has to be a priority. Period. When you’ve gotten to the point you believe it’s time to meet someone, make sure you do so safely. ALWAYS meet in a public place for the first several dates, and ALWAYS let someone else know your exact plans. For the first date, consider something casual so there’s not a lot of pressure. Always drive yourself (or have someone drive you) so you’re not dependent upon anyone to get you home. If someone you’re interested in doesn’t see the need to prioritize your safety, they’re not your person. Period.

Set Boundaries

Listen, we know that online dating can be…well, a bit addictive and lead to obsessive checking of texts, emails and more. It’s kind of kin to playing the slots every time you get on your site, and there’s a reason that gambling can be addictive. So, set boundaries. Give yourself times that you’ll check messages, review profiles, respond, seek, etc. Live your life outside of focusing on online dating, and enjoy the process. Boundaries protect you from losing your mind and help you weed out what you’re really looking for.

Figuring out how to navigate online dating can make you feel overwhelmed, but it doesn’t have to feel that way. Now that you know how to date online, just remember there’s no pressure for anything to happen, and you just might find you’ll enjoy online dating even more than you did the in-person social scenes back in the day!

Here are a couple of more articles from Fave about dating and relationships that you might enjoy!

Setting Boundaries in Relationships
Dating After 50
How To Stay Safe When Online Dating

about

Karen Rae

I was becoming an empty nester, a woman of a more interesting age and in transition. Sound familiar? I was at that place where we question our purpose, value, and worth and what in the world are we going to do with the rest of our lives.

I noticed women have a huge hunger to belong to a community of women where they can feel safe, share openly from their heart and have other women to do life with! This is why I created my Fave Lifestyles.

Fave is for the woman who wants to call Fave her community of women who support, uplift, and make her feel better about herself. I want to create a place where we help her answer life's questions and just do life together!

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