5 Ways To Get Out Of Your Dating Rut Right Now

We've all been there: caught smack-dab in the middle of a rut that feels too big to ever crawl out of, like an ant at the bottom of the Grand Canyon. You can see the sky, but good luck climbing the sheer cliff walls to get there.

Except you're not an ant, and you only think your rut is as big as the Grand Canyon. It looks big when you're at the bottom, but your rut isn't forever. You can escape.

Getting out of a rut means re-evaluating your dating behaviors. Take stock of what is and isn't working in all areas of your life. Ditch the things that aren't. Do more of the things that are. And you'll find yourself approaching romance with renewed energy and a new perspective.

Here are 5 things you can do, right now if you want to, to set yourself on a course towards the sky:

1. End the crutch relationship. The crutch could be a relationship you know is going nowhere, but that you give your time, energy, and emotions to anyway. The crutch could also be someone you go back to after every breakup, so you don't have to deal with the heartache. Or the crutch could be the person you text late at night, because some company is better than no company. Whatever your crutch looks like, ditch it. It's in the way of what you really want.

2. Change up your strategy. If you're not meeting anyone in your daily life, sign up for an online dating site. If you've been using dating websites but haven't had any success, delete your account and resolve to go out next weekend.

3. Own up to your issues. Yeah, you have them. We all do. Take some time to think about what bad habits you've fallen into and what negative beliefs you hold. When you're self-aware, you're more in control. You can make the choice to accentuate the positives and let go of any baggage that's holding you back.

4. Spend a night in. Dating fatigue is a real thing. If you're constantly going on date after date, it's easy to become complacent about the experience. You don't want to meet someone new if you're exhausted, annoyed, bored, etc., because your mood can make or break the date. Take time to yourself and recharge.

5. Review your dealbreakers. Having goals and boundaries is a good thing, but having rigid, nonnegotiable criteria is not. It's good to occasionally challenge the requirements you think you have. Stick with only the most important dealbreakers, and learn to be flexible about everything else. Expanding your openness means expanding your pool of potential dates.