In a time where speed dating is the norm or swiping is the standard, the slow dating trend is helping to shift our perceptions and beliefs about modern relationships. We’re seeing more and more people move away from fast dating and its subculture of instant connections to take the time to get to know someone. Instead of falling prey to dating apps that create instant matches by compelling you to meet quickly, slow dating promotes intentional dialogue, emotional relationship-building, and ultimately the ability to assess compatibility as a married couple.
So let’s take a minute to discuss why slowing down may actually speed things up in the ultimate journey of finding true love!
What Is Slow Dating
The digital world has made accessing dating faster now than it has ever been but the speed does not translate to a better dating experience. Swiping and more swiping, short messaging, and deleting apps because of instant rejection feels tiring for many singles! The slow dating trend teaches you to take a moment and slow down the pace, which should help you especially if you’ve been ghosted or felt you’ve burned out from swiping too quickly.
A quicker pace naturally leads people to talk to more people and want to go on more dates, but people are now finding they want fewer matches but better conversations. In place of meeting many people over a period of one week, slow dating encourages the time and space for honest discussion to ultimately understand one person’s values, goals and emotions. This behaviour shift is doing more than simply changing dates; it’s about emotional experience. It is a cushion against exhaustion, unwanted emotional suffering, and generally helps people feel understood and heard in a culture that does not seem to appreciate them!
Create more robust emotional connections
How to meet someone in a way that does not make you feel anxious about fast dates or diving into relationship labels but rather allows the flow of the connection to occur naturally. That is the phrase for slow dating.
When you give relationships room to grow, trust grows naturally. You can share stories, talk of dreams, and voice fears without the thought of pressure. It might take time, but you learn how to communicate with each other, what triggers each other emotionally, and what your life’s goals are. It is this setting that allows for a stronger emotional connection, rather than merely the sexual connection that comes with fast dating.
Dating coaches tell us that couples who engage in slow dating will often encounter fewer disputes later on. Why? Simply put, they take time to understand each other before making that deeper commitment.
Advice for Adopting a Slow Dating Orientation
- Prioritize meaningful conversations: Avoid the small talk and talk about bigger and better things!
- Limit multiple matches: Tell one singular person your true attention before switching to the next person.
- Be intentional: Don’t date just for the sake of doing it; date with purpose!
- Set healthy boundaries: Go as slowly as you both are comfortable to.
Ultimately, slow dating isn’t intended to slow love down… it is intended to slow down the dating process and allow love to occur.
Final Thoughts
The slowness dating movement is not an anti-love movement but a different one. It is about devotion of time, energy and emotional availability in order to create the true thing. In today’s biological clock driven world the slow strategy may be the quickest route to a long-lasting relationship.
So, when you find yourself feeling too fast-paced by the modern dating landscape, then it is maybe time to join the revolution, slow down, take your time, and be intentional in letting love take its time to rumble toward you.
