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Looking for love: Self-sabotaging your dating game

ORLANDO, Fla. – Nearly 50 percent of U.S. adults are single. According to the U.S. census bureau that adds up to 126 point nine million people. Match.com released findings on the nation’s largest and most comprehensive study on singles and found a rise in conscious dating.

With singles being more thoughtful and taking a healthier approach to finding a significant other. People are not looking for a casual hookup, but rather a longtime partner.

Studies show the most common turn-offs on a first date are too much ex-talk, people invading your space, disrespecting the waiter, being over-confident, and talking about yourself in the third person.

“There’s a tendency to want to be too serious too fast,” said M. Clark Canine MA, LMHC, NCC, a psychotherapist, speaker, and author.

In efforts to find that special someone, you do want to get serious with, 44 million people are using online dating services. Experts say don’t use old photos, stay away from glasses and hats that hide your appearance, don’t use group photos, videos, or voice recordings on your profile, and don’t show anything negative.

Relationship experts say that we often self-sabotage our love life. Some common ways are not being honest and only projecting our best qualities, and not seeing people for who they are but how we can change them. While we often ignore red flags, the one thing we can’t ignore is that when we do find love, the wait was worth it.

The match.com study also found singles have emerged post-pandemic as transformed daters. They now seek a partner who prioritizes mental health and self-care. They want someone who is emotionally mature and socially responsible. They are less fixated on good looks.