Am I Ready for a Relationship? How to Find Out & Be Sure

7 Signs you are ready for a relationship

You understand the importance of communication

Good communication is the foundation of any successful relationship. Especially if you’ve had issues with communication in the past, it’s important to learn how to communicate effectively. Once you’ve figured out things like your communication style, how to express yourself clearly, and how to listen, and even how to argue, you’ll be a in a much better place to start a serious relationship.

You’re not looking for someone to ‘complete’ you

One of the biggest myths the media and popular culture feeds people, is that you need a romantic partner to be ‘complete’. That couldn’t be more untrue, and in fact, that line of thinking means you’re likely not ready for a relationship. You are a whole person just by yourself and it’s only after you’ve acknowledged and internalized that that you can say yes, I am ready for a relationship.

You’re not beholden to a checklist

We’ve all done it: that long, detailed checklist of the ‘perfect’ partner, especially as teenagers. However, part of realizing ‘I am ready for a relationship’ comes with being ready to ditch the checklist, or at least, being open to a wider range of partners. While you shouldn’t completely let go of your standards, or ignore any dating red flags, being willing to go beyond your list shows you’re ready for exclusive dating.

You’re ready to compromise

Being in a relationship, involves some amount of compromise. While it’s important to stick to your guns on the important things, being with someone also involves being ready to meet them halfway. Compromising means valuing the other person’s opinion – perhaps you let them decide what’s for dinner, or do an unpleasant chore so they don’t have to. Either way, being willing to compromise is an important part of the ‘Am I ready for a relationship?’ question.

You know how to be alone

It’s important to know, why you are in a relationship. A reason shouldn’t be to escape from loneliness. And yes, there’s a difference between being alone and being lonely – with the former, you enjoy your own company, you are happy being single and don’t need others to feel fulfilled. When you know how to be alone, it’s much easier to answer the question ‘Am I ready for a relationship?’

You’re not hung up on an ex.

We all have pasts, and former partner. The important thing is to leave those exes in the past where they belong. If they’re still on your mind and you’re not getting over your ex, the answer to ‘Am I ready for a relationship?’ is a solid ‘no.’ While there are circumstances where contact with your ex is unavoidable – shared custody, for instance, – as a general rule, you’re ready for someone new if you have handled a break-up, gone through the grieve and come to the terms with your past.

You’re ready to open your heart up

One of the biggest indicators of whether or not you’re ready for a relationship? How you feel about the prospect. If the idea of a serious relationship excites you, if your answer to ‘are we compatible?’ is an unequivocal ‘yes!’ then the odds are that you are indeed ready to take the leap to an exclusive relationship.

5 Signs you’re not ready for a relationship

On the other hand, sometimes the answer to ‘Am I ready for a relationship?’ is ‘No.’ It’s important to listen to your instincts in cases like this. If any of the following signs seem familiar, odds are you’re not ready for a relationship.

1. You have baggage that needs to be unpacked

We’re not saying that you have to be perfect in order to be in a relationship, but it is true that it’s easier to settle down with someone if you’re not also busy dealing with your own issues. An important part of the answer to ‘Am I ready for a relationship?’ is if you are good with yourself, since that’s who you’ll spend the most time with over the course of your life.

2. You’re looking for someone to save, or to be saved yourself

While savior narratives are a staple of old-school romance, in real life, they’re very unlikely to lead to a happy ending. If you want to be saved, it’s better to seek ways to do so yourself rather than depend on a romantic partner.If you want to be the one doing the saving, it’s worth noting that a relationship that starts with that kind of power imbalance isn’t likely to be healthy, or end well. Either way, starting a relationship shouldn’t be on your radar any time soon.

3. Everyone else is in one!

Peer pressure, unfortunately, doesn’t end at school. It can be really hard, especially in the age of social media, to see photos or videos of happy couples with cutesy captions and not want the same thing for yourself. It’s made even worse by a society that doesn’t seem to be built for one, from single rates in hotel rooms to pressure from well-intentioned family. But it’s important not to let the pressure to be coupled up get to you, and to only enter a relationship when you feel ready.

4. You’re not willing to change… or too much so

If you’re willing to change everything about yourself to get a relationship? That indicates you’re not ready for one. The opposite, however, is also true. Relationships, especially serious ones, involve some level of change and compromise. It might be as simple as cutting down the time you spend with friends, or as complicated as moving cities for a long-distance paramour. If the prospect isn’t a fun one? Yet another reason you may not be ready for a relationship.

5. You’re generally unhappy

While relationships can often make your life better, they aren’t in and of themselves capable of fixing deeper issues. If you’re in a bad place to begin with, a partner isn’t going to fix that and might in fact make it worse. Or you might doom a relationship that might have otherwise succeeded. Either way, it’s better to work on being able to love yourself than depending on someone else’s love to fix you.

Knowing when you’re ready for a relationship is half the battle won

There are a lot of factors that go into a successful relationship, and your emotional state is the most important one. Which is why it’s so important not only to ask yourself ‘Am I ready for a relationship?’ but to be aware of the signs behind that question. It’s important to not only know yourself, but to be happy with who you are before embarking on a relationship. If you are content with yourself, great! If you’re not? You need find yourself first. eharmony is a great starting point: You can take the time to find yourself first and get to know a compatible partner to form a deep and meaningful connection with.