Keeping Your Relationship Secret
Office Romances, Negative Influences, and Rebound Love
Times when it's best to maintain a low profile with your dating life.
The first few weeks you’re in a new relationship can be a thrilling time. After all, you and your partner are still getting to know one another, so everything you talk about or learn from each other is an exciting revelation. You probably have the urge to shout the news of your relationship from the rooftops or tell all your friends. But should you?
Here are some examples when it’s better to keep your partnership on the down low, at least for a while.
Your Friends Are Sometimes a Negative Influence
The pals in your life are a blessing most of the time, but every once in awhile they wreck things for you. Perhaps one of your cronies gets a bit territorial, and makes any new person you date feel like a schmuck for not knowing every little detail about you yet. Another friend may hate the fact that when you’re dating someone you’re not available to him or her 24/7. Whatever the reason for your friend’s unhelpful reaction to new folks in your life, remember that it has to do with your friend and not you. Don’t let your friend’s issues jeopardize your potential relationship.
You Rely on Your Parent’s Approval Too Much
Maybe your mom and dad have the best relationship possible, and you hope to emulate them one day. Maybe you just crave their attention a great deal. If you find yourself looking to mom and dad for the nod that says it’s okay to go ahead with a new partnership, perhaps you’re relying on their opinions more than you need to. After all, it’s ultimately about your happiness, not your mom and dad’s.
You’ve Had a Recent Breakup
If you just got out of one relationship and are already on to the next, chances are the people in your life will balk at you jumping back into the shark tank. It’s a good idea to take some time after ending one relationship before starting hot and heavy with the next. A better option is to date several people on a more casual basis until you’re certain you’ve put the issues with your previous relationship behind you. But if you find someone you’re really into, it’s not a bad idea to sit with the information for a while until you’re certain it’s not a rebound situation.
You are Co-workers
It’s natural to meet people at work, especially when you both put in long hours. But it’s usually not a good idea to broadcast the fact that you’re dating until you are both serious about each other. Remain entirely professional. Leave the office separately and take your own car in. Don’t have lunch together and don’t spend time hanging out in each other’s offices. Don’t flirt in front of people.
Look on the bright side, keeping things secret creates a special kind of excitement you wouldn’t normally have had. If your relationship gets serious, it’s still a good idea to keep it quiet until you know for sure where your union is headed. Once you know your partner is the one, go ahead and let the rest of the people in your life in on your secret.
