How Do You Date Yourself Truly?
Although ‘dating yourself’ is not necessarily a clinical term or term used in medical literature, this is a concept discussed much in the community. This is the practice of learning to enjoy time with yourself and optimizing the relationship you have with yourself. We are all familiar with friendships and romantic relationships. You value the person, invest time and energy to set up quality time, treat that other person, etc. Dating your self is the same concept, but you do it with yourself. Instead of avoiding time with yourself and trying to fill it by being busy with others, we cherish high quality time and activities we do for ourselves.
What Does it Mean to Go On a “Date” With Yourself?
Is dating yourself the same as self-care? That is a very good question, in terms of, if this is any different from “self care.” I’m not sure if I can adequately answer that or not! But what I can say is, if you date yourself, think of how you date someone and how you can apply it to yourself. You are reserving and committing time. You plan what you want to do. Furthermore, you put thought into making it meaningful, enjoyable, memorable. It does not have to be anything grand, but something thoughtful will suffice! You want to invest some energy and even a little money into it, and you do it regularly! You make it a commitment you feel serious about. Not only that, but you also want to think about things that you do not want to do on a date, and you don’t want to do that to yourself either. It’s all to tempting to bail on plans or scroll your phone. Obviously, doing these things would defeat the purpose, and you are cutting yourself short. In much the same way, you’d be upset if your date did that to you! When you are dating someone, you love it when you are made the priority. So when you date yourself, you want to make your time alone the priority and not fall into the temptation of putting it on the back burner, which is far too easy with our busy lives these days!
How Do You Go On a Self-Date?
An ideal date can vary in so many ways, just like how each couple is unique! But it really boils down to, what you enjoy and what makes you feel like the best version of yourself. But some themes that are generally sound advice are ideas such as grooming yourself and dressing nicely for the occasion. A nice bath/shower and nice set of clothes always feels nice. We look good and that helps us feel good. Getting out and about is a good idea too. This can be taking yourself to a nice meal, a camping event and any other quality event that gets you out of the home!
What Are the Benefits of Going on Self-Dates?
Self dates can be so beneficial whether you are single or dating. For the former, it can help promote healthy levels of activity, or it is just too tempting to stay at home and get too far into our own heads. Self dating keeps our days active, us self-aware, and on our game to actively better ourselves. In a relationship, it’s always attractive when a person can be comfortable in all sorts of settings, whether with others or on their own. You get an idea of what you like and do no like, what makes you feel good, and what is helpful versus not. It can be a great tool for learning about yourself and the more you know about yourself, the more info you have to better equip yourself for figuring out what goals you have with others!
Speak With A Trusted Psychotherapist
Although self-dating can be a positive step towards understanding and caring for ourselves, sometimes it can also be beneficial to speak with a counselor. When this is the case we invite you to reach out to us here at New Frontiers Psychiatry & TMS in Milwaukee, WI. Our compassionate and understanding team of psychiatrists, psychologists, and psychotherapists provide counseling for people dealing with a wide range of mental and emotional issues, including self-care. Contact our office today online or call 414-763-6910 to set up an initial consultation.