The Best Dating Advice for Women Looking for Love
Dating life for women in this modern age brings quite a few challenges with it. Above that the one big question for many single women is how to find the one partner that suits them. And while the data says that women have an advantage on dating apps due to their lower numbers1, this doesn’t make it any easier to find the answer to that question. We look at some useful dating advice for women of all sexualities, address some specific dating questions for certain women, dating rules and how to build deep connections with the right people.
Here are some general tips and dating advice for women that can help you get more attention from the singles you’re interested in and how to nurture connections into lasting happy relationships.
Tip 1: Put yourself out there
While it’d be nice, it’s unrealistic to expect to find the right partner in your first few relationships. A study in conjunction with the paperback release of the bestselling relationship novel The Rosie Project found that on average women will kiss 15 people, go through two relationships and suffer two heartbreaks before they find the one. But it all starts with being more available. So be more socially active and when you meet someone you like, make your interest known. Also, learn to enjoy the dating process, both the ups and downs, because somewhere along that string of dates is your ideal partner.
Tip 2: Learn to communicate
A must-have on any list of dating tips for women (and men) is communication. You can’t hope to build a solid relationship if you aren’t telling each other what you expect from it. From your boundaries to your inner dreams, share these with your partner early and often so they can not only get to know and love the real you, but also understand how you think. When it comes to possible moments of conflict, it’s important to communicate constructively. Be assertive, not aggressive. Don’t use your words as weapons or overwhelm them with complaints becausethat will just make them close off. Work on healthy and helpful ways to let your partner know when they crossed a line so you can resolve it amicably and move on. The best relationships are built on these kinds of compromises.
Tip 3: Embrace your sexuality
Female sexuality is an endlessly unique and distinct aspect of our society. And it’s often one that can be stifled or maligned by society too, which is toxic. Female sexuality and the various benefits it holds, should not only be embraced but used to bring value to your life and relationships. This doesn’t just entail sex itself – as values regarding that differ from woman to woman – but embracing your feminine charms, while also making sure you don’t use your sexuality to manipulate or sabotage situations. It’s crucial you never repress your sexuality just to suit someone else in a relationship. Look for a good relationship where your sexuality is treasured, not tolerated.
Tip 4: Know your worth
This is a key piece of dating advice for women if you want to attract the right people: don’t accept partners that don’t reflect or appreciate your worth, in fact you should properly express your value. This isn’t about seeking physical perfection (which doesn’t exist) but putting a statement out to the world that you put effort into yourself, and they’ll have to as well if they want to be with you. Some easy ways to do this are to maintain some kind of exercise and skincare regimen, be style-conscious, have healthy eating habits, and maintain good grooming standards.
Tip 5: Learn to love well
Most of the positive qualities that drive a healthy relationship can be summed up as learning to ‘love well’. Loving well is about being honest, communicating feelings openly and kindly, being vulnerable and asking for forgiveness, having open channels of communication and setting healthy boundaries. A global survey was conducted in 2018 where they asked people what traits they found attractive in a long-term partner. Both men and women selected kindness and supportiveness as the top two by an overwhelming majority3. This doesn’t mean you have to be positive in the relationship all the time or never fight – that’s also very unhealthy. It just means you should try to keep interactions constructive and respectful.
Tip 6: Be mature
When it comes to good dating tips for women, maturity from both parties can’t be overstated. Maturity is about knowing when not to sweat the small stuff and keeping your eye on the bigger picture, bearing through hard times in the relationship and letting your desires develop naturally with your love. It’s also about knowing when not to share your feelings. While communication is vital, some of your frustrations and issues don’t need to be expressed to your partner, either because it will cause temporary issues or because they might cause more pain than healing. It can sometimes be challenging to distinguish the two but friends’ perspectives on the issue can help guide you in this area.
Tip 7: Don’t be their caretaker
This piece of dating advice for women is about valuing yourself over your partner early on so you can have a more evenly balanced and healthy relationship down the line. You also weed out potentially toxic relationships before they take root in your heart. Women tend to be natural caretakers, but your partner is not your child. Don’t make a habit of doing things for them that they can do for themselves. Look after yourself first while still being available as a source of support for them, but never a crutch. Worthwhile partners will respect you for it and it’ll become a natural part of your relationship structure.
Tip 8: Keep your options open
This isn’t about juggling five partners at once but rather about keeping your level of emotional investment realistically in line with your relationship level. If your first few dates go really well, don’t already start imagining the house you’ll share and cut off all contact with other active dating prospects. People can be fickle and if they unceremoniously decide to move on, you don’t want to be left holding the emotional bag with no romantic opportunities. Keep your expectations grounded and ease into the relationship. If you’re in doubt, have a frank conversation with them about the state of the relationship.
Tip 9: Don’t overanalyze
When looking at dating rules for women, this is a good one for those who tend to overthink situations. It’s not unusual either. Research suggests 73% of young adults chronically overthink4. Trying to figure out and analyze your date’s every statement, mysterious gesture and text response (or lack thereof) is not only pointless and emotionally draining for you, but it can make you actively push away partners or sabotage the relationship as a defense mechanism. Try to live in the moment when dating and embrace the unexpected. Once again, if you’re finding their behavior overwhelming, talk to them and set a boundary.
Tip 10: Don’t settle
This piece of dating advice for women speaks to knowing your worth. Often when we feel lonely or romantically unfulfilled, we become more active in finding someone. This is good but it can often come at the cost of our standards, accepting less than we deserve out of desperation. Women tend to date down more due to certain societal expectations and the absurd notion that they have a shelf life. But you’re not running out of time and it’s never too late to find someone you deserve, so show bad candidates the door and move on to the next date. The US has never had more single people in every age group than it has today5. And while single women outnumber other groups past 30, you’re at the wheel of your dating life. You’re not a statistic, you’re a person with your own unique romantic journey.
Tip 11: Command respect from the start
How you behave and the boundaries you set early on will set the tone for the rest of your relationship. Bad relationships are often not the fault of a doomed connection but rather that partners didn’t communicate their issues early enough and then fell into a behavioral rut. The early dating and honeymoon period is a hard time to be tough and assertive but it’s still vital. If they’re late for a date or break an arrangement without a good reason, let them know there and then that it’s unacceptable before it becomes ingrained. And remember, if it’s important enough to you, it’s never invalid. It’s up to the other person to decide whether they can make that compromise.
Find your own path to the right person to love
While this is all useful dating advice for women, there are so many ways for you to forge a strong and fulfilling relationship with your partner but most of them you’re going to learn as you go along. After all, no two love stories are the same. But approaching your connection at a healthy pace with open communication, respect and a solid idea of your value is a great way to give your budding romance a push in the right direction.
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