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How long should I wait to date somebody else?

34 Answers
Last Updated: 01/06/2020 at 3:05pm
1 Tip to Feel Better
United States
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Stacy Overton, PhD.

Counselor

I am an enthusiastic life-long learner and also a professor of counseling. I have a passion for peoples stories and helping to guide and empower the human spirit.

Top Rated Answers
Willofheart
July 13th, 2015 5:57pm
That is a question only you can answer. Recognise if theres anything holding you back, if youre afraid or still holding any grudges, use this time to become more clearer about what you want, be happy with yourself because how you feel about yourself is what matters, You'll attract others once you become a confident, happy you, and in time they will come to you themselves. :)
iAmSecretErlene
April 4th, 2015 12:49am
Well it really depends how long have you been with the person you were with, but give yourself a break and be single for awhile and enjoy your single life for awhile till you are ready to go out with someone.
Anonymous
September 21st, 2015 6:09am
you should wait as long as your heart tells you to when you are trying to move on. and even when you move on, you are allowed to take a step back from dating every once in a while
Lovewaves
June 30th, 2015 11:48am
You will be able to tell in your heart when the time is right, there really is no definite or measurable answer to this. Whenever you feel the time is right and you are free of all past emotional connections!
Becca0926
July 27th, 2015 4:34pm
There is no one answer for this. From what I've noticed in the past, the best thing you can do is work on yourself after a breakup, rather than jumping into another relationship. Relationships that are forced rarely work. Take your time after a breakup and focus on what YOU need. However, if you find someone else in the meantime that makes you feel happy again, consider taking things slowly at first, but don't feel guilty about how much time you need or don't need.
PollyShipwreck
August 15th, 2016 10:52pm
This answer will be different for everyone. I think once you are comfortable with knowing how to be alone again you are ready to date someone else. It's like hitting a reset button to make sure you are not just rebounding.
anchoredwithhope
September 28th, 2015 12:47pm
As long as you need to. You should only date when you feel comfortable. You don't need to wait a certain amount of time. You can take as much time as you see fit.
Anonymous
September 14th, 2015 11:02pm
As long as it takes for you to be completely over your last relationship. You need to be happy, worry about what other people think of you later.
Anonymous
August 18th, 2015 8:28pm
until you feel you are emotionially ready to accept somebodies love and affection your not ready to date
maddie10
February 23rd, 2015 1:23am
You should wait as long as you feel you need to wait. There is no set amount of time. You need to do what feels right for you.
FeatherIce25
April 17th, 2015 5:09pm
It is individual choice..you can start dating the very next day or wait for months , that totally depends on you. No one can decide for you. You should be comfortable thats all.
felixthecat
July 24th, 2018 10:54pm
Waiting to start dating is completely up to you. Give yourself enough time to move on and a little bit of time to focus on you, then date when you feel you are ready again!
xXrainbowXx
September 17th, 2018 6:45pm
You should wait until you feel like you’re ready. It doesn’t matter what other people suggest. If you feel like you’re ready to move on and you’re in a healthy place then date someone else. But if you’re not stable, don’t. Take time for yourself. Give yourself time to heal and relax. You don’t want to rush into something either. If you rush into something you may end up hurting yourself more and the other person. I know that sounds contradictory but you should give yourself time to heal and then when you’re ready, you should look for another relationship.
Anonymous
November 13th, 2018 12:59am
There is no set length of time that will guarantee you are ready to move on. Some say that you should stay single for at least half the length of the relationship. Others say it takes twice as long as the length of the relationship to fully move on. It will depend on how long you were together, how deeply invested you were in the relationship, and the circumstances of your breakup. I personally like to use something I call the grocery store scenario. Imagine you are at the grocery store and you run into your ex with their new partner. How would you react? Being sad isn't necessarily a bad reaction, a little sadness is common for some time after a breakup. Anger might indicate that there are still things about the breakup you need to work through. Nostalgia for old times is very common and often a promising sign. When you can look back on your relationship and focus on the good times and the lessons learned, you're moving to a good place and may be ready to try again with someone new.
PurpleLilyX
May 1st, 2018 5:06pm
There is no right or wrong answer to this question you will know in your heart when you feel ready, nobody can ever tell you when you should be ready as that's up to you! When you know you know it could take 5 days or it could take 5years follow your heart ❤️
LJSharp
November 20th, 2017 8:34pm
As soon as you feel ready to date somebody else. Take things at the pace you wish them to go and only go ahead with it whenever you feel ready to.
Anonymous
July 11th, 2017 5:15am
There isn't a right time to start dating someone new. If you feel like it's right for you to start dating again, go for it. Don't let anyone tell you it's too early to start dating again, that's all up to you.
Tawariell
March 27th, 2017 6:18pm
There isn't a specific time that has to pass before dating a new person, it's all about your will and how you feel. If you feel ready to date somebody else, than do. But if you still feel stressed from your past relationship, that is a big sign that you are not ready to move on.
koalarabbit
November 15th, 2016 4:56pm
Don't count the time and days. What matters is your readiness to opening up to a new chance and commitment. If you feel like whole again, go on.
Anonymous
October 25th, 2016 12:32pm
As long as you need to. You will know when the time is right or when you meet the right person and you feel like you want to be with them...
WorkInProgress11
October 24th, 2016 1:33am
There's not really a prescribed length of time to wait. It can be hard to know when, but you should make sure that you feel like you've healed from your past relationship and feel ready to move on with a new perspective for a new relationship. It's fine if you're not ready; everyone deals with things in their own time.
soothingSoul8788
January 6th, 2020 3:05pm
There is no predetermined amount of time to wait before dating someone else. Each and every one of us is different and we all handle things differently and in our own time. It is all about you and knowing yourself and knowing when you are ready to move on! For some people this can be a matter of days or weeks. For others it can take a few months or even years. Only you can truly know when you are ready to date again. Listen to your heart. It knows the way! I wish you the best of luck!
SkyyBlu
July 19th, 2016 2:34am
I think 30 days to get clean mentally and just deal with yourself is enough time before you start to date again. But it just depends on the depth of the relationship that you just got out of. If the relationship was not that serious you might date sooner, but vice versa if the relationship meant a lot it might take as long as 6 months before you feel comfortable about moving on to someone else.
rodentCult
July 11th, 2016 12:26pm
as long as you see fit. you know your emotions the best and you'll be ready for a new relationship when you're ready. there is not set waiting-period!
MilaMaric1
July 5th, 2016 10:49pm
There isn't actually a period. You can't choose who and when you love. Let love just happen.
Future737Pilot
June 14th, 2016 6:27pm
The time varies for every person. You should take some time to think about what happened. When you feel that you have gotten over your last partner, you can move on.
trouvaille
February 3rd, 2016 7:42am
There are no generic waiting times on when to date someone after a relationship. The is up to you and YOU alone. Only you can determine if you're ready. Have you healed from the last relationship? Are you dating to fill the void caused by the recent breakup? You need to consider what emotional state you're in before you open the door to your heart.
ughhitshaley
January 19th, 2016 8:57pm
i would wait at least 2 to 3 months before dating someone else and i would get to know them and how they act towards things
YouAreMyLifeSupports
December 22nd, 2015 2:04am
There is no set date. When you feel ready is the right time. Society tries to give us deadlines or time minimums but there is no such thing. When you feel ready and when the right person comes along, it will just fit together like a puzzle piece. keep your head up high kid, it'll all be okay.
Anonymous
November 2nd, 2015 4:16am
Theres no time limit to how long someone needs to wait. but to be absolutely fair to the next person you are going to date, here are a few tips: make sure you are over the previous person as much as you need to be so that they a) never come up in conversations and b) dont project the past relationship on to the new person. Make yourself a checklist of look fors and dont wants, if you have more checks on the look for sides and bonus points for the ones you hadnt thought of thats the right person