5 Signs You Are Ready For A New Relationship

After the post-breakup slump, you may not be sure if you’re ready to dive right into a new relationship. You may be dating around and mingling with other singles, but it can be hard to tell if you’re looking to get into your next serious relationship or just trying to fill the void your last relationship left.

Everyone has different ways of coping with the end of a relationship. And everyone spends different amounts of time dealing with the end and healing on their own. But when it comes to entering a new relationship, how can you know if you’re truly ready to accept someone new into your life?

# You’re no longer angry

One of the ways we cope with grief is by lashing out and expressing our anger at either the person who caused the grief or at the situation itself. It’s not unheard of to be angry at your ex, but it’s not healthy to dwell on the anger either. One sure way you can tell that you’re emotionally equipped for a new relationship is when you no longer feel the gripping anger that often comes with a relationship that ended badly.

# You’re not comparing new people with your ex

Playing the comparison game is a sign that you may not be completely over your ex. Whenever you’re out on a date with someone, do you notice the little things your date does that reminds you of your ex? Do you turn your ex into a yardstick with which you see how other potential partners measure up? Are you out with this person solely because they remind you of your ex?

There may be times when you can’t help but make a bit of a comparison, and that’s fine. What you should look out for, however, is when you’re always trying to pit this new person against your ex. If you still do this, or if you can’t seem to help it, then you may need some more time to let go of the past.

# You’ve found the time to enjoy your singlehood

Not a lot of people give themselves enough time to enjoy being single, because they let their loneliness push them into entering a new relationship immediately. But genuinely trying to enjoy being unattached can be very helpful in making you a more well-adjusted person.

This is the time when you can do pretty much whatever you want to do, without answering to a significant other. You can do things alone and be secure. This allows you to foster independence, while also showing you that being single isn’t such a bad thing. Taking the time to enjoy this phase lets you focus more on the things you want, without looking to a partner for guidance.

# You’re yourself again

People inevitably change whenever they enter into a new relationship. Little habits, thoughts and opinions are shared between two people, and it fuses with their personality. You may even let your role as someone’s significant other mold you into who you are now. For instance, you may be the “one of the guys girlfriend” or the “nurturing, motherly girlfriend” or “Mr. romantic funny guy.”

But once the relationship ends, you need to be able to revert back to your old, single self. Your persona should no longer be dependent on the relationship you were in. You should also no longer be defined by the end of your relationship. Until you reach that point where your past relationship is shelved as just one of your life experiences, you still need to work on freeing yourself from the influence of that relationship.

# You’re not just trying to fend off loneliness

Lots of rebound relationships start off with at least one lonely person who’s desperate to find someone to keep their loneliness at bay. This may sometimes help with the healing process, but it often makes you depend on another person too much. Loneliness may not be a good feeling, but you shouldn’t just rush into the arms of some willing new potential partner just to get rid of it.

Being lonely after a breakup is normal. You may feel like the floor has just been swept under you, as you become painfully aware of how alone you are. But being alone also has its good points, since you can get to know yourself better. And speaking of being alone.