1. Define “casual.”
It's important to know exactly what you're looking for from a casual relationship so you can set the right boundaries.
For example, do you plan to date one lds dating at a time, or will you be seeing different people? Will you spend the night with each other or not?
In order to avoid things getting messy, not only do you need to know what you want, but your potential partner needs to know as well. While sitting down and talking about your feelings can feel like something you’d save for a serious partner, it is important to have a short chat about it with a casual relationship as well.
The quickest way to ruin both of your experiences is to misunderstand each other on just how casual you really are.
2. Pay attention to how they feel about it.
If you want to stay casual, be upfront about your intentions from the start and pay attention to how they react. Do they agree to “not looking for anything serious” wholeheartedly or reluctantly?
If it seems like they’re just trying to play along in hopes of convincing you to commit further down the line, do not even pretend to humor them. (Unless you don’t actually want something casual, but then, why are you here?)
3. Don’t string them along if they seem more attached than you are.
Letting them keep their hopes up is only going to give you drama and a headache in a few months when you still want to keep it casual. (Shocking!) No matter how hot they are, it's not worth all that.
Also, it’s just nicer not to string people along, even if they’re practically setting themselves up for it. If their true feelings are obvious, do them and yourself the favor of stopping it before it starts.
4. Don’t blame yourself for their miscommunication.
If it’s hard to be sure if they genuinely want to stay casual, or if they seem sincere but later prove not to be, don’t blame yourself for taking them at their word. At a certain point, a person should say what they mean, should they not?
But this discussion can (and should) include more than just your general status. Because, unfortunately, casual dating means a lot of different things to a lot of different people.
5. Lower your expectations, both for yourself and your date.
“The most important rules about casual dating are about boundaries," says certified dating coach, Ronnie Ryan, MBA, CCC.
When declaring your boundaries, just think: What sounds the most fun with the least complications to you? What things need to be avoided if you don’t want emotional attachment?
There’s no need to be doing each other any favors or check-ins like you would a significant other. You owe them about as much as you owe a friendly acquaintance — which is nothing — as long as you're decent about it.
"Remember what causal means — no expectations and no commitment,” explains Ryan.