How are you guys doing? We know that this year has been a tough one for all of and, as this is Mental Health Awareness Week, we wanted to do our part and offer support. An added extra stressor at the moment may be dating. Maybe you had high hopes this year for how your love life would turn out or you’ve found yourself recently single and are struggling with that status. Whatever your circumstance may be, here are 5 tips for taking care of your mental health while dating…

1. If it’s affecting your self-esteem, take a break

One of the biggest ways that dating can affect your mental health is self-esteem. Whether it’s swiping and not getting as many matches as you thought. Maybe it’s having good chats that fizzle out because they stop responding, or a continuous stream of dates that seems to go nowhere. All of these can have an impact. Especially if you’re comparing your ‘progress’ to other people. If you are finding that your self-esteem is taking a hit, give yourself a break from dating to take care of your mental health.

2. Treat others with respect, the way you would want to be treated

When you’re dating, it’s great to start off with boundaries, for yourself. What you will and won’t accept. The oldest lesson in the book is to treat others the way you’d want to be treated and that definitely includes dating. Approach all your interactions with respect and if you don’t feel you’re receiving it back, say something. If you’re still not receiving respect, then take yourself out of that interaction before it starts impacting your mental health.

3. Video/phone calls before meeting in person can ease anxiety

If you find dating and meeting people stressful, then one way to take care of your mental health while dating is to have a video or phone call with your date beforehand. Aside from it being a good way to test out your chemistry with someone, it can also make you feel more comfortable meeting someone in person. You can get a better gauge of whether this person will be a good addition to your life.

4. Don’t be afraid to be honest about your mental health

If you have any concerns about your mental health or a mental health condition, when you’re comfortable with the person you’re dating, be honest. Don’t feel you have to hide it. That could end up causing more stress and anxiety. Being able to talk to the person you’re dating could be a big help and it’s important to know if they could be part of your support system. So, don’t be afraid to be honest.

5. If someone is consistently making you feel bad about yourself, put yourself first

Last, but by no means least. If someone is consistently triggering feelings of psychological or physical anxiety or inspiring an excessive amount of negative thoughts directed inwards, put yourself first. Sure, when you’re dating someone, it’s normal to be nervous and have one or two doubts about how things may progress. However, if it’s interfering with your mental health, it’s essential to prioritise that above all else. If you need to take a step back, then do that.

So, there you have it! 5 tips for taking care of your mental health while dating. If you need to talk to someone about your mental health, there are a lot of resources such as Mind, Relate, Mental Health UK and Mental Health Organization that you can use. You can also talk to a loved one. Just remember, you’re not alone.