When people get married, they don’t ever think it will end in divorce. Unfortunately, divorce is very common these days and sometimes you’re just in a bad marriage that you really need to get out of. This decision doesn’t come lightly and can of course be made more difficult with financial issues, children in the picture, and other factors. 

Once you get through the divorce itself and come out on the other side, you’ll find yourself feeling much lighter, happier, and freer. But depending on how long you were with your spouse, re-entering the world of dating can feel scary and jarring and you may be very out of practice! Here are 3 dating tips for people who have recently gone through a divorce. 

Try The Apps

If you haven’t dated in a long time, one of the first things you may be curious about is how the heck people meet new people these days. Well, since just about everything is done online in some form or another, that’s true for dating too. There are many different dating apps out there for people of different religions, sexual preferences, or ages. Do a little research or ask your friends to see which apps you might be interested in and then make yourself a couple of profiles and start swiping!

It doesn’t matter if you’re in your early 30s or reaching retirement age, the dating apps available are typically very user-friendly and there’s a date out there for everyone! You may not end up finding the love of your life, but it can be a fun and low-stakes way to start dating again. 

Figure Out What You Want

Being honest with yourself about what you want in this stage of your life, or in your next relationship is a great step to take when you’re thinking about dating again after a divorce. For example, if you’re simply looking for casual hookups and are not in a place to find a new long-term partner, it wouldn’t be fair for you to date people who are looking to find someone to marry. Once you know what you want, you can better convey that to others, and that makes dating much easier and less stressful. 

Make Sure Your Marriage Is Really Over

If you’re separated from your spouse but may get back together at some point, your divorce hasn’t been finalized because one or both of you still have feelings for each other, etc. it may not be the best time for you to be thinking about dating. Make sure your marriage is really over and perhaps have a civil conversation with your ex (if you’re in a place to do so) about your interest in beginning to date again. They don’t necessarily have to be on the same page, but after sharing your life with someone it’s good to try and keep everything out in the open as much as possible. 

Divorce can feel like a deep dark tunnel filled with so much sadness, but there’s light at the end of it and part of that light is dating new people! Hopefully, these tips can help you to start to do that again.