Being in a casual relationship can often be a challenging experience. Whether you’re in it for fun or are just scared of commitment, you’ve probably heard that casual relationships require a lot of work and can be very hard to handle.
However, casual relationships can bring you new experiences and help you understand what type of partner would be ideal for you. You may also learn a lot about yourself and try out everything you were afraid of in the past.
Needless to say, casual relationships can end on a bad note quite often. More importantly, one or both sides end up getting hurt. We are here to help you learn how to be in a casual relationship and stay safe.
What’s a casual relationship?
A casual relationship represents a no-strings-attached relationship between two people. It functions as a laid-back form of dating – the most important part of casual dating is having fun and trying not to develop feelings.
If you are new to casual relationships, you need to understand how a causal relationship works. Many people choose casual dating to get over their past relationships, have casual sex, and just explore what they want.
Casual relationships can often end up disastrously, mainly because one side starts catching feelings and wants to bring the relationship to the next level. On the other hand, many serious relationships can emerge from casual hookups because casual relationships can become serious in no time.
Do you want to be in a casual relationship?
Before you emerge into a casual relationship, the crucial question you should ask yourself is: “Are casual relationships the right thing for me?” Although they may seem fun, they aren’t for everyone.
If you are an emotional person who easily falls in love, casual relationships may not be the right choice for you. Not because we think you can’t handle it, but because you can get hurt along the way.
Furthermore, if you’re curious if casual dating is the right thing for you, you can always try it. However, make sure you have your head clear when stepping into something even remotely similar to casual dating and hookups.
Know your needs
If you want to avoid getting hurt in a casual relationship, it’s important to acknowledge what you want in the first place. By doing so, it’s less likely that someone will take advantage of your indecision.
We advise you to think hard about what you desire and whether casual dating is right for you. If you are unsure, you can always seek advice from a professional and try to understand what’s best for yourself.
Before getting into casual dating, you should talk to your partner about important things like what you are looking for and what you expect, need, and want. If you avoid this step, you may experience unpleasant situations in the future.
Understand their needs
It’s in everyone’s interest to put their needs first, especially in situations where they can get hurt. Although you may spend a lot of time acknowledging what you need, understanding what they want is just as important.
Sometimes, just learning what they want can help you understand whether casual relationships are the right thing for you. If the person you’re casually dating is shy, you might want to ask them everything you need to know about their emotional state and intentions.
Always make sure both of you are on the same page if you want to avoid any type of confusion in the future. We also understand if you want to find everything out along the way, but we advise you to find out everything you need to know as soon as possible for your own sake.
Communicate with each other
The key to any type of successful relationship is to have good communication and clear intentions with each other. By doing so, you will always know what both of you expect and want and reduce the chances of both of you ending up hurt.
Although you might want to keep your emotions and fears to yourself, you might want to try and talk to them about how you feel and what you fear, as it may surprise you that they feel the same way. Also, communication regarding your intimacy can help you avoid different unpleasant situations in the future.
Always try to be honest with them about what you want if you want to avoid a situation where anyone gets emotionally involved, hurt, or disappointed. However, don’t forget that there are some things you should keep to yourself!
Don’t get attached
It’s easier to say it than to do it, but it’s a must if you don’t want to end up hurt – don’t get attached! Casual relationships require a spontaneous connection between two people, but you can easily start catching feelings, especially if you spend a lot of time with them.
You might want to understand the importance of staying emotionally stable and unavailable when casually dating – getting into a casual relationship can leave you scarred afterward, regardless of your emotional state.
Make sure you keep it cool and try to look at the casual relationship as a way for you both to have fun. The moment you start taking it seriously, you might as well fall into a deep void of overthinking and reconsidering your choices.
Notice the red flags
If you have previous dating experience, you should be able to tell whether the person you’re seeing is someone who can hurt you. However, if you are new to casual dating, you should inform yourself about the red flags that indicate that something isn’t quite right with the person you’re dating or your relationship.
One of the most basic red flags to look for are jealousy, possessiveness, passive aggression, substance abuse, or any sign that they can hurt you both emotionally or physically. If you come across any of these flags, we advise you to step back and calmly end the casual relationship.
Noticing the red flags is one of the crucial steps in casual dating, as it can save you a lot of trouble in the future. Keep your eyes wide open, and try to meet the person a little bit before getting into a casual relationship with them.
Stay safe
Although casual dating can often seem dispensable and laid back at first, it can turn into a catastrophic storm of unwanted and unpleasant experiences if you aren’t careful enough when meeting someone for the first time.
The most important thing to do before starting a casual relationship with someone is to acknowledge their intentions and whether they can potentially be dangerous or not. You should be able to follow your gut on this and see whether they are right for you.
However, if you have the slightest doubt they can hurt you in any way, we advise you to take all the necessary steps to stay safe. Contact your local police station and ask them for protection if you are being followed or sexually assaulted.
Pay attention to how long your casual relationship lasts
It can be hard to estimate how long a casual relationship should last. You may enjoy the time you spend with each other and have no clue whether that is a good or a bad thing. So how can you know when’s the time to stop what you’re doing?
The best advice we can give you is to pay close attention to your relationship and whether one of you starts developing feelings for the other. Also, getting too comfortable with them can signify that your casual relationship is starting to be way too serious.
Maybe you should also talk to them if you fear that you’ve become way too close recently. Sometimes, honesty can bring you many things that doubting can’t, so try to communicate with them if you feel confused.
What should I do if I start developing feelings?
Humans are emotional beings, and taking control of your feelings can be a very challenging experience. If they do exist, there is no point in trying to make your feelings go away, but you shouldn’t sit and wait for that to happen all on its own.
Catching feelings for someone you’re casually dating can be a very stressful experience, and you may not be ready for such a challenge. Mostly because you’re aware that if you come clean with your feelings to them, your relationship will end, and you will be left alone.
However, sometimes by being honest, you will save yourself from bigger emotional damage in the future. Let go of your emotions and remember that there are plenty of fish in the sea, and you will most certainly find someone who will suit you even better.
Benefits of casual dating
Although casual dating seems like a road to hell, it can bring you many positive experiences along the way. However, you need a clear relationship between two people if you want to get all the good things from it and get everything you wanted in the first place.
Casual dating can bring you a stress-free experience of meeting someone new and having fun along the way. Also, casual dating can help you understand what you need in a serious relationship and whether you are ready for it.
It can also allow you to see multiple people simultaneously without feeling guilty. However, we advise you to always talk to your partner whether that would bother them or not because every person has different principles.
Downsides to casual dating
As casual dating can bring you many good things, it can also bring you different negative experiences. So before you decide to start casually dating someone, there are some things you should always know.
If not set up properly, casual relationships can bring you a lot of inconveniences. You may start catching feelings and expecting the same thing from them when they are actually just in it for the hookup.
Also, you may experience different types of uncomfortable situations when trying to have a casual relationship with someone. Often, casual relationships end badly as both sides can’t land on the same page.
If it gets too complicated, abort the mission!
Casual dating can get complicated in no time, especially if you’ve been seeing each other for some time now. To avoid any unpleasant experiences in the future, you must know when and how to end your relationship and move on.
You will most likely decide to end it if feeling gets involved from any side, especially if they start talking about bringing your relationship to the next level. If you start feeling uncomfortable, we advise you to end the casual relationship and take a step back.
Casual relationships can get complicated for many different reasons, and you must know how to recognize a relationship with no hope. Also, don’t forget that a professional can always help you solve your problems regarding your casual relationship.
The bottom line
Casual relationships are a double-ended blade, especially if you’ve never experienced them before. You can come across different challenges when you casually date someone, and it can often be exhausting.
However, casual dating may be the perfect option if you like a good adventure and just want to have fun without getting emotionally involved. Having a no strings attached relationship with someone can be just what you need.
We hope this article helped you understand everything you need to know about how to be in a casual relationship and not get hurt. Trust your instinct and try to enjoy the experience. If not, you can always turn around and start a new casual or serious relationship with someone else.