Navigating the Journey to Love: A Guide for 18-Year-Olds

Do not take the pressure of starting a relationship too seriously. It is perfectly normal to feel like the world expects you to have a partner by the age of 20, but the truth is, that is not a mandate. If you find love, it is amazing; but if you don't, it is never too late to start. You are only 20 after all, so chill!

Why Not Stress?

At the age of 20, you are navigating through a multitude of aspects of life including your career, personal growth, and the hustle. You cannot get everything at the same time, but it does not mean that other aspects of your life will never come into the picture. If you stress too much, you might end up with premature wrinkles, affecting your relationship more than it needs to. Humor is the best medicine after all.

Focusing on Self-Improvement

You may not be actively seeking a relationship, but you are taking every step to improve yourself, becoming more awesome and happy. Instead of chasing a relationship, you should focus on attracting the right person by working on yourself. Some actionable steps you can take:

Gain Confidence: Overcome challenges and let others see the confidence within you. Cultivate Your Passions: Continue doing what you love to show how happy and talented you are. Enhance Social Skills: Learn body language skills and practice effective communication. Travel: Experience different cultures and become more sophisticated in the process. Be Kind: Help less fortunate individuals and respect those around you.

Eventually, the right person will come to you. Embrace the journey and good luck on your path to love!

Selecting the Right Relationship

While it is easy to get into any relationship if you are not too choosy, finding a healthy, non-toxic relationship that benefits both individuals is challenging and incredibly rare. It is much better to take your time and find the right partner rather than jumping from one relationship to another. Embrace the single life and enjoy it; though human nature may make you feel like you are missing out, remember that those feelings come from FOMO (Fear of Missing Out). While being single can be liberating—no need for anyone's permission or approval—you should not rush into something just to end loneliness.

Engage in groups and activities that share your common interests. This can be more organic and lead to genuine connections. If relationships do not start from these activities, at least you will have an expanded social circle to find your person in. Most relationships, about 80%, start from friends or their friends. For women, it is particularly challenging to open up to unfamiliar men, so finding a person who shares common interests is the best approach. Your social life is heavily linked to your dating life; if you have no social life, you will struggle to find a significant other.

Relating Social Life to Dating Success

Your dating life is almost directly proportional to your social life. Women often find social men more attractive than those who are antisocial, unless you find an antisocial woman, which is not the norm. As someone who is antisocial, you might struggle with social interactions, but you can brave through and find someone who appreciates your true self. Once you have someone in your life, you might start to be more social, as communication becomes easier.