The holidays are upon us. You may not realize this, but not only is this the busiest time of the year for retailers, it’s the busiest time of the year for online dating sites.
Both activity and new members peak in the holidays and after the new year.
Maybe you’re one of those people who has found yourself going into online dating during this time. Maybe you’re anticipating aunt Nancy’s uncomfortable questions about your personal life, or you don’t want to spend New Year’s Eve kissing your cat.
If you’re new to online dating, here are some tips to get you through the holiday season.
1. Get to know the site you’re using.
Sometimes the site will make all the difference to whether or not you love or hate online dating. Take advantage of three-day trials, free communication weekends or free sites.
2. You may experience a buzz of activity.
It may not always be this busy, so don’t get cocky and discount everyone who reaches out.
“Keep your eyes peeled for events
you can experience with your dates.”
3. Remember to take one person at a time.
A peril of online dating is the idea that people are expendable if they aren’t exactly perfect. Try to take the time to get to know someone in person who has potential.
I recommend becoming your own matchmaker. Make a list of the 10 things you must have in a partner and 10 things that are deal-breakers. Keep it to your top 10. Maybe it’s religion, politics, children, animals, smoking, etc.
Then make it a point to meet in person with anyone who matches items on your first list and doesn’t break any points on the deal-breaker list.
If you don’t know if they possess a quality, decide to meet or talk to them to find out. This will keep your unreliable emotions out of your decision-making process but still allow you to meet people you have great potential with.
Remember people are different online than in person.
4. Find time to meet your online dates
There is a lot of stuff going on during this time of year and people get busy with many holiday parties and gatherings, as well as travel plans. Keep this in mind and try to be flexible and meet as soon as reasonably possible.
You don’t want to lose out a on a potential love interest just because you’re both too busy.
5. There are so many things to do together.
Get hot drinks around a cozy fire. Go on walks and check out lights. Many communities have parades and seasonal events. There are lots of plays and musicals to attend. You can even find a lot of volunteer outreaches and give back.
Keep your eyes peeled for events you can experience with your new online dates.
