THE LOVE LEXICON UPDATED

If there's one thing Gen Z loves, it's rewriting the relationship rule book! Ravina M Sachdev gets you updated

- Ravina M Sachdev

We can all agree that finding love in modern times is difficult. The world of dating can seem like a chaotic wreck on fire; and there seems to be a new dating word and method out on the block every week. And, if you’re out there trying to find your soulmate, keeping up with the trends is a must.

STACK DATING

Remember the time we’d spend hours picking out an outfit before an important date and spend an entire evening getting to know a new certain someone? Those days are gone – if you subscribe to the stack dating trend. This one’s all about making dating a low-pressure part of your daily life. This means sneaking in dates after an early-morning workout session or meeting up for a quick drink before heading out with your colleagues for dinner. Basically, the idea is to fit a date seamlessly into your schedule, whenever it works best for you. And, truth be told, fitting quick dates into your daily schedule can be quite liberating!

GUARDRAILING

You know how most of us jump into relationships, get swept up in the romance, and let our partners get away with almost anything – only for the relationship to become toxic because we didn’t set clear boundaries? Yep, most of us probably wouldn’t have had to sit and weep through multiple tubs of cookie dough ice cream if we had only established stronger boundaries at the start. Still, there’s a dating trend called guardrailing that might work. In simple terms, it’s all about approaching new romance prospects with caution so as not to waste time, effort, and energy only for the relationship to not go anywhere. “Guardrailing is all about setting boundaries and protecting our energy,” explains Mumbai-based life coach