If you were born between 1946 and 1964, you’re considered a baby boomer. Boomers, now well into their senior years with two or three marriages under their belt, are the generation that made divorces popular. While divorce rates drop for other ages, the opposite is true for baby boomers. They are continuing to do so at unprecedented rates as they age, according to a paper by Sheela Kennedy at the University of Minnesota.
It can be daunting for you as a baby boomer to find yourself single again but the truth is there is no need for despair, there are many options to find love again especially if you are willing to try something new.
Here are seven tips that may take you outside your comfort zone and right to love:
Keep your options open. Don’t limit your options based on an unrealistic laundry list of criteria in a partner, these things won’t matter in the long run and you’ll deprive yourself of the love and companionship that you long for. A good way to determine what’s important is by getting clear about your wants versus needs. Often time when our needs are being met our love flourishes.
Maintain your physical appearance. This day in age there are so many products and procedures that can keep you looking great. We live in a world where appearances matter and age is no reason to give up on looking fabulous. Always be your best self by wearing age appropriate stylish clothes, exercise to keep yourself mentally and physically in shape. And, remember, when you look great, you feel great and you exude confidence!
Don’t immediately shoot down someone who is not “your type”. Just as our taste buds change with age, be open to the idea that our taste in an ideal match can change too. Unless you are repulsed by someone give him or her a chance, you may be surprised how much you and that person have in common.
Be up for a new adventure. It is always good to switch things up from the typical dinner date. Maybe try out something new and different you’ve never done before. Who said going to the zoo for the first date was a bad idea?
Look up people from your past. Sometimes in high school or college we are oblivious to someone who had a crush on us. Later on in life you run into that person and they’ll tell how they dreamed of being in a relationship with you. Well, Facebook is a great place to virtually run into someone from the past. The key is to identify yourself on Facebook as a “single” person. There is no shame in being single and if you keep it a secret, how will that long lost secret crush know that the time is now to make a move?
Ignore the horror stories. If I had a nickel for every time I heard someone say they won’t try online dating because they’ve heard horror stories. You hear horror stories about New York City but is that going to keep you from a Broadway show or Times Square? Look, I get it, some people have had issues with online dating, but there are so many like me who found their spouse online. The key to online dating is to post great photos on a well written and upbeat profile that leads to one to two emails, then a phone call to plan your first meeting in a public and safe location. There are many online dating sites for baby boomers; just take your time finding the one that’s right for you.
Learn from the past. If you’ve been burned in past relationships, don’t bring that baggage with you into your next relationship, but do avoid the same qualities in a partner that did not work for you before. If you’re newly single take some time to regain your sense of self and really get to know your life goals and what it is that works for you in a relationship; take an inventory of all your past relationships and find the patterns that don’t work. Use that knowledge.
Looking for love at any age can be challenging, but there are benefits when you’re a baby boomer; your biological clock isn’t ticking and marriage is not always the end goal. Still, time is of the essence, Don’t waste it nit-picking and obsessing over what doesn’t matter. Find someone who meets your needs and make sure that’s someone who realistically is looking for you too!