Did you know that kindness can help with your health and well-being?
But, here’s something even more interesting:
Did you know kindness can help with dating too?
Here’s an example:
You don’t want to be super critical of a man who may have gotten stuck in traffic and deserves another chance. If he is a little late for your date and you get snippy, he may feel like he can’t make you happy. He won’t see the point of another date. That is not to say you shouldn’t ever tease him if he messes up, but you don’t want to turn something small into a bigger deal than it is.
Of course, you can take kindness too far. You don’t want to worry so much about hurting his feelings that you don’t set limits. Or to be so forgiving that you overlook a possible deal-breaker in your budding relationship, like him flirting with other women or drinking to excess. You can be kind to a man by understanding that he has some issues and that you two are not meant to be. If he can’t make you happy, you may need to let him go.
Kindness won’t just help you on your dating journey with men. It can help you with all aspects of your life.
Here’s how:
How Being Kind Helps You with Dating and Life #1: Improves Your Relationships
Nobody’s perfect. Whether we like it or not, we all have flaws. When a man feels like you understand him and aren’t super critical or judgmental, you make it safer for him to confide in you and ultimately get close to you. You aren’t overlooking his flaws, just accepting and understanding that he has them. You can decide then if you can live with the set of flaws he has. You can choose to accept or reject him.
How Being Kind Helps You with Dating and Life #2: More Resilience
Dating can be stressful. Rejection, disappointment, and frustration are the name of the game. Studies show that you are more likely to bounce back after setbacks if you are kinder to yourself. For example, if a man pulls away, you are more likely to calmly weigh your options instead of overreacting.
These benefits don’t just apply to dating. Everyone experiences stressful events in their lives. Loneliness, financial problems, health issues, and discrimination are pervasive, and the more you can cope with them effectively, the easier your life will be.
How Being Kind Helps You with Dating and Life #3: Self Compassion Leads You to Better Partners
When you treat yourself with kindness, understanding, and encouragement like you would treat a friend, you become more accepting of your feelings and intuition. Instead of criticizing yourself with, “I’m too picky and will be single forever,” you consider that you are being honest with yourself when you think there is a problem of incompatibility, and he might not be right for you. When you are honest with yourself in this way, you will naturally gravitate to a more suitable partner instead of forcing yourself to accept a bad fit. Living in harmony with your true self can help you in every area of your life. That is authenticity.
When you become more accepting of your own flaws, you are more likely to feel better about yourself. Practicing being kind to yourself can make you less judgmental of others and more likely to accept their flaws.
Bottom Line:
Don’t beat yourself up. All you need is greater awareness and a little practice.
