Here's When It Will Feel Safe To Start Dating Again, By Zodiac Sign
We all need a little time to recover from a breakup.
Everyone has their own approach to dealing with breakups. Some of us need ample time between relationships to really recover and find the confidence to get out there and date again. Others are starting something with someone new almost immediately after breaking up with someone old.
Of course, it all depends on how the breakup took place. If you agree to go your separate ways and part as friends, maybe you were healed before you let go in the first place and can move on quicker than others.
RELATED: Why People Keep Breaking Your Heart (Based On Your Zodiac Sign)
And then there are those of us who don't really see the point in starting a new relationship when they can put their time and effort into something else — like themselves, their work, or their family. No matter how you do it, everyone has a method of dealing with a breakup, based on their zodiac sign.
As an Aquarius, I'm more likely to be in the third group of people – the ones who see a breakup as a way to focus on myself and my own needs, rather than look for a new relationship. But one thing is true no matter how you deal with a breakup: we all need some time to recollect ourselves.
Even if you are the Rebound Queen, it's important to at least give yourself a few weeks off before jumping back into the dating game, right?
Of course, it's not always easy to wait for some zodiac signs, but it's still a good idea to try. When you have that time to yourself, you can really reevaluate what it is you want out of a relationship and what kind of person would be the best partner for you.
Maybe you've been looking in the wrong places the entire time. If you never slow down and figure out if how you're dating is the best way to do it, you'll never find that special person.
RELATED: 5 Intuitive Zodiac Signs Who Know When It’s Time to Break Up
Look at it like this, as weird as this analogy might sound. There's a restaurant right around the corner from your apartment that you always go to, but every time you're there, your food is either always kind of terrible or it gives you food poisoning or it's just undercooked.
But whenever you want something easy and fast, you always go there, no matter how many times it makes you sick. Wouldn't it be a better idea to find somewhere else to go that actually has better choices? Yes, of course.
So, why would you constantly look for a new partner with the same techniques when it never seemed to work out for you in the past? Just because you're really good at putting yourself out there on dating apps doesn't mean Tinder is the best way to find someone to date.
Maybe you need to take up a hobby or sport instead or ask your friends if they know someone who could be good for you. Using this time after breakups might seem like it's only good for being sad after losing someone you really like, but it's also an important time to put your needs and wants first.
Even if looking for a new relationship to get into isn't a priority or right for you at the moment, you might end up finding someone special along the way.
But each zodiac sign has a specific amount of time they should devote before they put themselves out there again, based on astrology. Here is how long you should wait before you start dating again (after your breakup), based on your horoscope.
ARIES (March 21 - April 19)
Aries, you have a lot of love in your heart to give and you want to share it with someone you care about as often and as quickly as possible. You might be one of the zodiac signs most willing to start a rebound relationship right after getting out of a serious one, but that's only because you can't bear the thought of having all this love inside you ready to burst and no one to share it with.
You should wait a month before you start dating again. For some, a month might feel like a lifetime, but for you, it's the perfect time to get your head in the right mindset for dating again. A breakup is going to be hard on you, but you're very resilient to rejection and heartbreak. You know how to use your confidence to build yourself up again and tell yourself, "Hey, I deserve all the love I can get!" and actually mean it. After a month, you're back to your old self – the one who's ready for that thrilling rollercoaster of love again.
TAURUS (April 20 - May 20)
For you, Taurus, dating is a means to an end. You date with a lifetime together in mind, even if you don't say that out loud to your partner right away. So, when you're dealing with a breakup, it can be really hard for you to get back to your happy, ready-for-love self. You're not the kind of zodiac sign that can bounce back so easily after heartbreak and honestly, it's probably better that way. You're adverse to change and breakups mean having to change a bit, so it's better for you to take your time with change, rather than rush right into it.
You should wait three years before you start dating again. I know, that sounds like a lifetime, but hear me out. Casual dating isn't off the table during these three years, but serious dating is. Chances are, the relationship you just got out of was a long one – I'm talking years. And after a breakup like that, it can be worse for yourself to start something serious right after. Use those three years to reevaluate what you want out of a relationship and be more honest with yourself. When you are finally ready to try again, you'll be more confident in yourself and in love.
GEMINI (May 21 - June 20)
Gemini, you like dating because it's a fun way to let off some steam and hang out with someone you're really into. But it can also be nerve-wracking because you feel like you have to be someone who is more committed to your partner than you are to yourself. You tend to shy away from commitment, but when you really like (or love) someone, you've been known to embrace that fear just to make your partner happy, even if it doesn't make you very happy.
You should wait a year before you start dating again. You need to learn how to embrace your fears without giving up pieces of yourself in the process. This means learning how to take those conflicting, hot-and-cold parts of you and use them to your advantage. Being with the right person means not having to compromise yourself to save the relationship. Use this year off to take care of yourself and teach yourself that you can put yourself first without feeling selfish about it – and that taking the time to find the right partner is worth it.
CANCER (June 21 - July 22)
Cancer, you're another one of those zodiac signs that has a lot of love in your heart to give and finds it difficult to keep it to yourself. That's probably why you love being in a relationship a lot more than you like not being in one. But don't let a breakup force you into starting a new relationship right away just because you don't want to be alone.
You should wait six months before you start dating again. You're not one to wait when you're feeling impatient and when you get that itch to start dating again, nothing in the world is going to stop you, but waiting a few months will slow you down. You're the kind of partner to go all out on the very first date, so it's sometimes better to use those six months as a quick breather before jumping back into the crazy life of a romantic.
LEO (July 23 - August 22)
Leo, you don't need a lot of time to recover after a breakup. This is your element! You love the fast, crazy life and you love being whisked off your feet by someone new just as much as you love having a busy professional and social life. To you, dating is just another one of your engagements you add to your planner every week.
You should wait two weeks before you start dating again. Sure, breakups suck big time. But are you going to waste your time moping over someone who clearly doesn't want you or get back into the game and show everyone who's ever let you go that you know how to bounce back better than ever? Two weeks is the perfect amount of time to get rid of his crap and get a few new outfits before hitting the town again. You play the dating game fast and dangerously, and you don't even break a sweat while doing it.
VIRGO (August 23 - September 22)
Virgo, you take dating very seriously. You want to know that the person you're spending all of your time with is as dedicated to the relationship as you are. When you don't feel like your partner is all in, you're most likely the one who will initiate the breakup. Even if you're the one being broken up with, you still probably agree on some level that this relationship wasn't perfect.
You should wait a year before you start dating again. You like being in a relationship when both people are committed to each other, but you don't mind being single either. You'd be more than happy to use the year you're single to focus on other parts of your life, like your family and your work, before getting back into the dating game. You're the kind of zodiac sign to take dating very seriously and wants to take things slow and steady with the next person you date; it's not a rush for you to find the right person.
LIBRA (September 23 - October 22)
Libra, you tend to put your partners first in any relationship you're in, whether you realize it or not. So, when you're faced with a breakup, instead of taking the L and figuring out what your next step is going to be, you find yourself trying to change in order to keep your partner around. For you specifically, a breakup should be like shedding your old skin; starting completely anew with a plan in mind and a more positive understanding of what you want.
You should wait eight months before you start dating again. This is just under a year (because you have a hard time waiting when you find someone you really like) but still long enough that you can reframe your needs and get out there again. During these eight months, really think about what would make YOU happy in a relationship without getting overshadowed by your partner. You deserve just as much happiness as your partner, so remember to put yourself first, too.
SCORPIO (October 23 - November 21)
Scorpio, you love intensely. And while your last relationship was probably a few years long, it probably also took you a few years to warm up to this person and really feel comfortable letting them get to know you. So, after a breakup, you're probably not even thinking about a new relationship. In fact, you're probably only thinking about how you're never going to open up to another person again. Okay, maybe not that exactly, but a breakup is really hurting you right now.
You should wait three years before you start dating again. Like other zodiac signs who need a lot of time to recover in between relationships, this doesn't necessarily mean casual hookups are off the table, but a real, serious relationship is. You need those three years to really get to know someone on an intimate basis again and chances are, it really will take that long for you to warm up to someone new again. Use this time wisely and you'll realize that you are able to love someone again without hiding any parts of yourself out of worry about the past.
SAGITTARIUS (November 22 - December 21)
Sagittarius, you don't really take anything seriously, least of all relationships. When you break up with someone, there's almost always a chance that it hurt the other person a lot more than it hurt you. You're barely saying goodbye to one person before you're starting something new with another. And there is absolutely nothing wrong with that – it's just how you're built!
You should wait two weeks before you start dating again. In your eyes, you think of dating as finding a BFF you can get intimate with. So, when this friendship-slash-relationship is over, you just have to find someone else who's looking for fun. Sure, there will be times when one relationship is much longer than another, but you still have the same mindset: nothing and no one is going to bring you down, so you're just going to enjoy life as it comes. Breakups are just life's way of telling you to change it up, that's all!
CAPRICORN (December 22 - January 19)
You know exactly what you want out of a relationship, Capricorn, and you're not afraid to go out and get it. You know how on Tinder you can basically swipe left whenever you're not interested in someone? That's pretty much how you date IRL. Every time you realize that the person you're in a relationship with is just wasting your time and getting you nowhere closer to the relationship you're looking for, you leave them. You don't get broken up with – you do breaking up.
You should wait six months before you start dating again. You know what you want out of a partner, but it's still difficult to find that perfect person. So, you don't really mind dating, but you also need some breathers between each person you do date. Six months is the perfect amount of time to make sure that you're looking for your perfect person in all the right places. You can also use this time to focus on other things, like your job and your family, which is just as important to you as finding love.
AQUARIUS (January 20 - February 18)
Aquarius, you're not someone to get into rebound relationships super quickly because you don't really care that much. You are really good at being single – and yes, that is a compliment. You don't go out of your way to make sure that you find the perfect relationship because you're the kind of zodiac sign that realizes that the perfect relationship was with your best friend the whole time. So, when it comes to breakups, you're secretly relieved.
You should wait two years before you start dating again. You might not want to say it out loud, but dating is exhausting. You can use these two years to start a new project or move to a new city; something to make you excited about something new again. You know how to be single the right way because you know that there's much more to life than just being in a relationship. Use this time to focus on yourself and what makes you happy and you'll be ready to try again before you know it.
PISCES (February 19 - March 20)
Pisces, you're another one of those zodiac signs that has a ton of love to give. Breakups suck for you because you feel like all of the work you put into a relationship should make everything easier, right? Wrong, unfortunately. A relationship is the effort of both people and when your partner just isn't into it, it can make your effort a lot harder.
You should wait three months before you start dating again. This is the perfect amount of time for you to mourn your loss and then be able to get back out there again with the same amount of positivity you had before. You are incredibly resilient after a breakup (to many people's surprise) because you know that when you keep working towards something you want, you'll eventually get it. Hard work is NOT lost on you!
Emily Ratay is a full-time writer living in Pittsburgh. She's passionate about the environment and feminism, and knows that anything is possible in the right pair of shoes. She plans on writing a non-fiction book in the future.