When you’re about to enter a relationship with someone you like, you need to get a few things in check beforehand. We’re about to open up ourselves to an entirely new person!
Whether it’s things we like or stuff we’re insecure about, we make our strengths and weaknesses available for that other person to explore and experience.
The least we could do is take a little more time before making that jump.
Our blog discusses the importance of dating and taking the time to really get to know someone beyond their go-to coffee order and favorite TV show. Without further ado, let’s find out why is dating important before a relationship?
Building The Trust
One of the most important requirements for a long-lasting and fulfilling relationship is trust, and dating before a relationship allows you to build that trust. As you gradually begin spending more time with one another, progress on opening up about things, letting them in on your sensitivities, you lay the foundation in your bond for trust and reliability.
Dating for some time before making things official gives you the opportunity to observe how your partner handles certain situations, how honest they are, and most importantly, if they are worthy of earning your trust.
Gauging Compatibility
Another key aspect of dating before a relationship is assessing the compatibility between couples prior to commitments.
When you’re dating someone without promises and accountabilities that come with committing, you’re sharing each other’s future plans, goals you want to achieve, values, and what you do and don’t believe. Any online dating guide can tell you that.
It’s important that you understand that compatibility exceeds the fact that you can both binge watch Friends on end. What you have in common goes deeper than your likes and dislikes of materialistic and trivial matters, it’s important concerns like family, career, and finances that are discussed.
Other than those subjects, dating before a relationship also helps you and your person of interest assess your emotional and physical compatibility. You need to see if you vibe emotionally with them if your emotions are not too restrained, and if they’re safe enough to be communicated to each other.
Dating before making things official also allows you both the opportunity to feel comfortable and secure with each other physically because inconsistency in intimacy is often the first crack in relationships. And the only way you can both find your common ground is by dating for a while beforehand. Physical chemistry is key.
The Past, Yours, and Theirs
The past is always a tricky terrain to navigate. When you date before a relationship, you and your partner can lay it all on the table, step by step.
Your past forms a huge part of how you open up to them, so remember to do it with caution. Whether it’s talking about past relationships, family dynamics, and upbringing, you’re offering and receiving insights into each other’s behavior and perspectives.
Refrain from talking about the crazy exes on the first day. It’s important to approach those painful memories with sensitivity and empathy as you let the other person know.
This allows them to have empathy and understand you better than if you told a story that puts all the blame on your ex. We tend to do this, and we must be careful not to do it.
Everybody has their emotional baggage and how you unload it speaks on your ability to handle and manage complicated situations. When you do it in a sophisticated and responsible manner, you make it easy for you and them.
Set The Boundaries
Oh, the boundaries, this becomes quite a point of discussion in relationships that never set any to begin with! Dating before a relationship offers the chance to couples to set and understand each others’ boundaries.
When you know what the other person is comfortable with and let them know what you’re comfortable with, you set aside future misinterpretations and build mutual respect. The last thing you’d want is being caught off guard by something your partner did that hurt you, that you hadn’t explained or made them understand before. Yes, it’s on them, but it’s also partly on you.
You also become more and more used to being on the same page with the other person and them with you. Whether it’s discussions about being exclusive, long-term views, or just day-to-day habits, dating before a relationship gives you that leeway to be in cahoots with each other.
Enjoying The Time Together
Dating is fun and you and your partner both ought to enjoy that time before you jump into officiating things. When you spend time with them, you create memories and share experiences that may not feel the same when you’re official. There’s a different type of joy in just dating without any ties.
As you make these memories and have fun, you’re also becoming accountable to each other and starting to make little compromises here and there. This is effective in laying the foundation for a relationship that will be rooted in trust, responsibility, and the fondest moments.
Remember, it’s not like you need to go on a weeklong trip doing adventurous things that will seal the deal on your ability to move on to a relationship.
While getting out of your comfort zone is beneficial, it’s really about the time you take to build that comfort. It could take a week, 3 weeks, 4 or 8 months before you finally feel ready to commit and be in a relationship.
Conclusion
And there you have it! Dating before a relationship can truly set the tone for a bond that’s meant to last, one that’s built with time, experience, and tested through several challenges and obstacles.
Whether you’ve just started to date someone new or have been seeing somebody for a while now, move through this phase before committing, carefully and with much patience, empathy, respect, and understanding.
