No matter if you are divorced, widowed, or you simply haven’t found the right person yet, if you are present on the dating scene at the mid-life mark, you are not alone at all. Around a quarter of adults in America aged between 45 and 59 are single, and there are millions of unmarried Americans over 65.
Even though there is plenty of fish in the sea, finding the right person is easier said than done. An issue many adults over 50 face is the fact that the dating world changed from the one 20-plus years ago. They often don’t know how to approach and sometimes don’t even try. If you are a 50-plus adult and are reentering the dating scene, read the article we have prepared for you so you can do so with confidence.
Expand your usual age limits
The general attitude amongst people is to date people around their own age. If that has been your attitude as well, why not change that? Even though dating somebody 10 or 20 years older or younger was a bit strange in your 20s and 30s, once you meet someone who is perhaps 15 years older or younger than you, you will likely notice that there is not much of a difference.
Making sure that you expand where you are looking is only going to boost the chance of finding the right person. You might even want to venture into a specific website where you can find older women, even if you have initially been looking for younger women. Who knows where your potential love interest is – it’s up to you to widen your search area!
Listen attentively
If you are going on a date after a long time, it might be hard to contain your excitement. But, if you want that second date, pay attention that you don’t end up talking more than listening. If the person you are on a date with feels listened to, that will go a long way towards building trust.
Embrace your age
Confidence can be the key to selling anything, even yourself. Instead of hiding your age or lying about it, try to find ways to embrace it, to feel confident and sexy. If you are looking for a long-term relationship, your age is going to come forward at some point anyway, so why not just be honest from the beginning. Talk about all the life experiences you have had, talk about the goals you have now. Just because you are not in your 20s anymore, it doesn’t have to mean you can’t show how fun you are. After all, you surely have a lot more fun experiences behind you now than in your 20s.
Ask somebody out
Even if asking somebody out isn’t really your thing, why not give it a try? We know that it takes courage to do it for the first time, especially if you haven’t dated in a while, but once you get a “yes” you will have more confidence to do it again. When you show up on the date you will show more confidence since the person you are out with agreed to go out with you.
Give compliments to your date
A lot of times it happens that people try less as the years go by. This might not be the case for you. But, the thing we wanted to emphasize is giving compliments. When your date feels more confident and visible, you two will more likely have a successful date. Of course, the compliments should be genuine. Just enjoy spending time with your date and let them know about the things you appreciate about them.
Don’t trash talk your ex
Most of us sadly have those bad stories about our exes. Even though your last relationship will most likely come up at some point, try not to get too passionate about it. If you trash talk about your ex, your date might see you as a cruel or unkind person and might not want that next date. Of course, you should share your experiences, just watch out how you talk about those and wait for the right time to share certain stories.
Try out a new hobby
If you are having a hard time meeting people, why not try out a new hobby? You can take a pottery class, dancing lessons, join a gym, or anything that suits your personality. This can help you both enjoy something you wanted to try for a long time as well as meet people who share your interest. After all, you will certainly have something to talk about before you get to know each other better.
Protect yourself
Just because you are over 50, it doesn’t mean that you should not have caution when it comes to sexual health. Even though getting pregnant might not be a concern anymore like it was when you were younger, you still have to make sure you protect yourself from all the STDs. Be sure to use protection if you choose to be intimate.
Last but definitely not least – don’t pretend to be someone who you’re not. Even though a lot of people think that presenting themselves in a more positive, interesting manner is a plus, in the long run, you are only boosting the possibility of things not working out.
Be yourself, embrace your positives and work on your negatives, and you will surely find someone that is going to like you for those exact characteristics.
