Enjoy These 5 Stages of Sex and Dating to The Fullest
Dating couples encounter 5 inevitable stages of that relationship. Each stage needs them to decide if they should move forward or call it a day and go their separate ways. Some stages are easier to experience, and some people stay at certain stages for longer. Each stage is an avenue to personal growth for you and helps you to evaluate yourself or your relationship better.
What stage of dating are you really in?
The First Date – Before and After
It's normal to feel nervous before the first date. The degree of nervousness depends on how big a deal you think a first date is. The trick is just to think it's simply a chance to meet a new person. It will make you feel happier and calmer.
After the first date goes well and you like this person, you may start wondering, what comes next? Many people start getting anxious about whether the other person reciprocates this feeling or not. You may want to analyze all the ways you had messed up during the date. This leads you to rehash the date again and again in your mind. This, let's assure you, is common too.
Sex, The First Time, and The Next Few Times
Let's say you have sex and the first time is less than great. Experts say this is quite normal. In fact, sex with a new person is, more often than not, awkward and not ideal. Don't even compare it with the Hollywood scenes of first-time sex where all things are perfect and the partners both climax simultaneously. These kinds of comparisons in your mind can leave you feeling disappointed.
However, when sex starts happening more frequently, there is a shift in emotions. A deeper feeling of intimacy emerges. If that does not happen, it's a red flag. Maybe the relationship is getting boring for you. And if you're still wondering how the other person feels, just focus on your own sensations and feelings.
Fizzling Out or Feeling a Deeper Connection
One of two things may happen at this stage – it blossoms into a more fulfilling relationship, or it fizzles out. You might feel disappointed if you find the passion fizzling out between the two of you. You may even think you should be ashamed that it didn't work out. You may feel embarrassed when friends ask what's happening with your relationship. There may be a fear that this pattern of fizzling out will be repeated once you start dating a new person. However, if you weren't feeling much enthusiasm with your partner, finally moving on will bring a sense of relief.
On the other hand, if you find the relationship blossoming into something more, you'll find yourself bonding with them over not only your shared love for pizza and Netflix but also your dreams, your fears, and your struggles. You start opening up and making yourself more vulnerable. This will bring you into a closer connection and intimacy.
Introducing Your Partner to Your Friends
Meeting and hanging out with one another's friends can be a good or a not-so-good thing. You can feel anxious about being judged by people who are close to the person you care about. You can also really like their friends, in which case your attraction to and your pride in your partner increases. This creates an emotional attachment that is way bigger than a physical attraction. Likewise, you may feel anxious about your friends, not liking your partner and disapproving of your choice. It goes both ways.
Being in Love
You're ready to say the three scary words to your object of desire – "I Love You." It scary because it can feel very vulnerable to expose your innermost feelings to another person, particularly if you're unsure how they react. On the flip side, if your partner says these words to you before you're sure you feel the same way, you can feel anxious and guilty that you cannot reciprocate. However, if both of you are in tune with each other's feelings, it will feel good to say it, and it will feel good to hear it.
