Why Someone Might Say That They’re Not Ready to Date

When I first met my husband(!) he was newly out of a long-term relationship and told me when we started hanging out that he was not ready to date. Naturally, I thought, what the heck does that even mean?!

Fresh out of a relationship, a lot of people don't want to jump into a new relationship especially if they felt suppressed with their last partner. It takes time to decompress after a bad breakup as well, so it might take a person a few weeks to a few months before they are ready to put themselves out there again.

You also have to understand that for some people, getting into a new relationship could feel like losing some of your independence and that could be scary for someone. Understanding the fears and hesitations that someone might have in getting into a new relationship could help you work through them.