#1. You Envy Your Coupled Up Friends

Do you find yourself wishing you were coupled up like your best friend? Or wishing that you were no longer the 3rd or 5th wheel when out with friends? Do you miss having someone to go on hikes with, go see movies with, and even Netflix and chill with without the urge to just "chill"? If you answered yes to these questions, you might be ready for a relationship, or at least ready to open yourself up to the idea of exploring your options. When we're content being single, we don't mind being alone and doing group things solo. We don't mind going to the movies or local bookstore on a solo adventure. But when you're ready for a relationship, you find that you would rather have someone to experience those outings with. If you find yourself wishing you could share your experiences with someone, you might be ready to settle down.

#2. You No Longer Want To Date

If you don't care to sign up for the latest dating app, and have no desire to be involved in and endless string of first dates, you might be ready for a relationship. Dating is tiring. The constant introductions, the feeling of 'selling yourself', the worry of the other person finding out what your worst quirks are. All of the above can become mundane. We all want to 'click' with someone and when we've gone through a bunch of prospects with no 'clicking', all of a sudden dating isn't fun anymore. If this sounds like you, maybe it's time to narrow down what you're looking for in a partner and start focusing your energy on finding that 'one', rather than a handful of possible 'ones'. Dating is fun if you're into it, but if you're over the dating scene, and being in a relationship doesn't seem so scary anymore, you might be ready to find a partner. The feeling of starting over, again and again, doesn't appeal to everyone, and if you're tired of starting over again, take a break and really think about what you're looking for. Once you have an idea of where you're at and what you're ready for, you'll find what exactly what you need.

#3. You're Thinking About Building A Future With Someone

When we're just into dating, we don't think about the future. We think about the here and now. We think about what's happening today or tomorrow, but never about what will happen a few months from now. But when you start to think about the future, and the possibility of marriage and/or kids, that's a definite sign that you're ready to settle down, or at least thinking about settling down. If you are having these feelings and don't know where to start, there are plenty of options to consider. You could ask your friends to maybe hook you up with singles that are also looking for something more serious, or you could try a dating site that's geared more toward the serious dater. If you've been casual dating for a longer period of time, then you know the sites that are more for hookups and casual flings, but there are tons of sites out there that will help you connect with someone that you could see yourself with long term. Do some research and ask around. You'll find the right site for you when you're ready.

#4. You'd Rather Skip The Club

Do you find that lately you'd rather stay in or hang out in a small group of close friends rather than hit the 'meat market' scene at your local club? If your answer is yes, you're probably ready for something a little more serious. If picking up chicks at the bar no longer appeals to you, it's okay to admit that maybe you're ready for something more. It's not unusual to go through a period of time where you love to head out every night, or almost every night, throw back a few shots, and hit on local hotties in hopes of a casual hookup. That gets old though, and maybe you're in the transition phase of no longer looking for a one night stand. Embrace your new feelings, and embrace that you're ready to take on something more serious. The longer you fight it, the longer you miss out on potentially meeting the person you are destined to meet. If you're ready, you'll know, and you'll start to realize your feelings of craving something that didn't manifest at your local club.

#5. You're Reading An Article About Being Ready For A Relationship

This one's a little obvious, but let's face it, if you're reading this article, you're probably ready for a relationship. Maybe it's time to let go and embrace the idea of looking for something more serious. It's okay to want something less superficial. It happens to the best of us. It's fun to casual date for awhile and test out the waters to see what's out there, and get to know what we want a little better. You won't know what it is exactly that you're looking for unless you take the time to get to know yourself, and that happens through other people sometimes. Once you're done casual dating, you'll find that you have a good idea of what you're looking for in a partner and you'll be ready to narrow down your search to explore those things with one person and one person only. Accept that you're ready for a full blown relationship and start looking at potential partners in a different light. Think about more than just sex, and start thinking long term love.

No one can tell you if you're ready for a relationship. Like we touched on earlier, you might not even know yourself until you've found someone that makes you want to take things further. When you're ready to take the relationship plunge, you'll notice that you start viewing relationships differently. They'll seem more attractive to you, and you'll start seeing yourself in one. You know how you feel, or have felt when you want to be single, so on the flip side, you'll know how you feel when you are ready to be coupled up. Sometimes we fight that urge to couple up because we're afraid of what we might be missing out on, but a relationship can be, and is, a beautiful thing - when you find the right person. The beginning of a relationship is full of so much happiness, high endorphins, and lust. It's a magical time when two people can't get enough of each other, and tirelessly do things to please each other. Relationships are about learning what the other person wants, loves and needs, and actually wanting to selflessly give them those things. There are so many pros to being in a relationship, especially when you have a spark with that person and want to spend every waking moment with them. There aren't many things that beat new love, and if you've ever experienced it, you'll know exactly what that means. If you miss it, you'll also know that it's time to open up to the option of exploring it again.

Now That You're Ready, Where Do You Start?

As mentioned above, when you're ready for a relationship, it's a good idea to start with asking your coupled up friends to hook you up with other potential singles. Your best friend's girlfriend might know a few single girls that are looking for something, too. It's a safer place to begin your search if you're hesitant to start an online search. If you don't have much luck with that, you will want to explore other options. The bar isn't always a bad place to meet someone, depending on the type of event that's going on there. If you're out for a few drinks and happen to spot someone across the room, you should make a move. If you're out with friends at a concert, you already know that you and the girl catching your eye have at least one similar interest, so you should definitely make a move. Obviously a dance club where people are out to get wasted and party hard might not be the best place to look for a serious connection, but hey, stranger things have happened.

There are so many online sites that are great for hooking up. FreeHookups.com being the best of them. You can really narrow down your search and choose your dating preferences in detail. It's not easy to get what you want when you're just winging it, but if you take the time to find someone that matches what you're looking for, you'll have a better chance of it turning into something more long term. Does that make sense? Sure it does, and that's why millions of people try online dating when they're looking for relationships and are over the casual dating scene. If you're really ready, maybe it's time to open up an account and at least see what's out there. It never hurts to do a free search. Hey, you might luck out the first time you log in. If you put the time and effort it takes, which is usually only a few minutes, to fill out your profile and write a little bit about yourself, you'd be surprised at how many instant hits you'll get.

Online dating has grown tremendously over the years because singles like you have so much success meeting locals that they might not otherwise meet. When you can skip the singles spots and head straight to the conversation aspect of meeting someone, it's eliminates so much of the work that you'd have to put in just to get the courage up to talk to someone. Even the shyest people have amazing luck online because when you're behind a computer screen, your confidence never dwindles. If anything, it gives you more confidence because you can start your interactions by being as open and bold as you like. No cutesy eye contact games needed! Online dating is the best way to meet someone when you're not really sure how to meet someone, and you're not having much luck during your regular routine. Start thinking about what you're looking for, try doing a quick search on FreeHookups.com, and you'll be pleasantly surprised at just how easy and rewarding meeting someone online actually is.