If you’re venturing out in the dating world after divorce, it can be daunting, especially if you were married for a very long time. First things first – make sure you feel good about you before you start mixing and mingling with other people romantically. You want to be in a good place and ready to rumble. You don’t want to end up hurting others or yourself if you have unresolved issues from the marriage!

So, if you’ve moved on and are ready to start your next chapter, here are a few ways to embrace dating after divorce.

1. Give Your Expectations A Reality Check

Be patient. You won’t necessarily meet the love of your life on your first post-divorce date. Just go out with the goal of having fun and meeting people, and if someone turns out to be great and the one for you, that’s fantastic! Just try not to put too much pressure on yourself or others at a first meetup. This way, no one will be disappointed.

2. Don’t Bring Your Bitter

I’m sorry if your ex cheated or if you ended up paying your former spouse a lot of money. But no matter how the divorce cards fell, don’t bring your bitter to the table! No one wants to sit with someone who is negative or complaining about his or her past. If you want to embrace dating, you’ve got to say “buh-bye” to past angers. If you don’t, you’ll only end up turning off people unintentionally with your side of salty attitude.

3. Get Involved And Get Out

Online dating is fun and interesting, but it’s also good to get out and socialize. Participate in a group activity. Look for local meetup groups. Reach out to your local temple. Join a gym or hiking group. Be out and about amongst people again.

Focus on enjoying life to the fullest; as you do so, you’ll start to meet people … who know people … who know people you might like!

4. Don’t Be Shy

There are plenty of divorced people dating. You are not the only single person left on the planet. Plenty of folks are out there looking for love, part two. Don’t be shy or shameful. You’re starting over. Own it!

5. Remember They’re Not All Winners

Look, not every date is going to be a “winner.” Some dates are going to be awkward or stink, quite honestly, and that’s okay. Remember how it was when you were dating before you got married? It hasn’t changed. You’ll have some great dates, some so-so dates and some bad ones. This is to be expected and is not a sign of anything being wrong with you.

Dating may be intimidating after divorce, but just remember: you did it before and found someone, so you can do it again and find someone even better this time!

You’re never too old or too far-gone to find love. Believe it to be possible and it will happen!

You may also be interested in 5 Ways To Calm First Date Jitters