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Dating is Exhausting, Here’s How to Protect Your Self-Esteem
Romantic clarity saves your energy.
I haven’t heard from him all day, and we are supposed to meet up tonight. While we agreed on a time the evening before, I had no idea where I would be meeting him, if we’d be eating dinner, or if he hoped to turn this into a booty call.
Four hours before our date was supposed to begin, he reaches out on the dating app with a lethargic “what’s your number.”
I decided to give him a pass (maybe his workday was hectic?) and send my digits anyway.
Another two hours go by before I get a playful TGIF message, to which I respond, “I’d still like to meet you, but since I haven’t heard from you all day, I made other plans. Are you free next week?”
My new beau wigs out, sending a series of exclamations like “What do you mean you didn’t hear from me!” and “I didn’t make any other plans because of you!”
Within minutes he’s blocked me on the dating app and sent a final message that made it clear I was not to reach out again. While I regret hurting his feelings, I stand by how I handled the situation. Little did this guy know it, but he overstepped my boundaries, and I was protecting my energy.
