How Long Should You Wait Before... Anything?

Every “how to date” article gives you conflicting advice: wait three days, but don’t play games. Be vulnerable, but not clingy. What if the only wrong timing is trying to follow made-up rules?

1. When Are We Supposed to Meet In Person? Like, Before Retirement?

Here’s the deal: messaging for weeks with someone you’ve never seen in 3D is a recipe for disappointment. Research says the longer you wait, the more your brain turns them into Ryan Gosling with a PhD and a rescue dog. Meet early-ish. Don’t give yourself time to create a whole fake wedding Pinterest board. Meet while the fantasy is still manageable.

2. Should You Say “I Love You” Before or After You’ve Heard Them Snore?

Maybe chill for a minute. If you blurt it out too soon, you might freak them out. But waiting forever because you're playing mind games? Also trash behavior. So, like, just be real when it feels real.

3. Is There a Right Time to Get Naked? 

Sex: the ultimate timing question. Do we do it on date three? Do we wait until one of us has met the other's dog?

Studies say couples who hold off a little tend to be more satisfied. Not because waiting is “classy,” but because taking your time lets you actually know each other. You’re not a prude for waiting. And you’re not “easy” if you don’t. You’re just a person with needs and a calendar. 

4. Together Time vs. Leave Me Alone Time: The Struggle

Spending every second together isn’t cute. It’s co-dependency with a scented candle. Couples who hang with friends, have hobbies, and occasionally stare at a wall in silence alone are actually stronger. Taking time for yourself doesn’t mean your relationship is dying. It means you still have a personality.

5. What Happens When Bae Goes on a Business Trip and You’re Left to Rot?

Absence makes the heart grow fonder or it makes you rage-text over typos. Depends.

Physical distance doesn’t wreck relationships if emotional closeness is strong. People who stay connected do just fine. Also: try this thing called “relational savoring,” which is a fancy term for daydreaming about the time they made you laugh so hard wine came out your nose. Cute, right?

There’s No Right Time for Anything, But There’s Definitely a Wrong Time to Pretend You Don’t Care

There’s no universal dating clock. You don’t need to follow your cousin’s engagement timeline or that one influencer who married her yoga instructor in Bali after 11 days. Love is weird. People are weirder.
But if the timing feels good? Dance with it.