Dating after a breakup is a tricky proposition. There are no hard and fast rules for dating again after a breakup but it's a good idea to at least take a little time to sort out how you really feel about yourself, your ex, and the fact that your relationship has ended before you start a relationship with someone new. Diving in too soon can lead to the disaster that is often known as the rebound relationship. But there is no proper, written in stone, period of mourning for a relationship that is over and done with. Just be sure that it is over and done with for your sake as well as the sake of the person you're thinking about dating.

Rebound relationships can burn bright and intense but are often marked by their brevity. It's a good idea not to get serious about any one person but to play the field and date a few people before you get into another serious relationship after a breakup. The good rule of thumb to remember is that you shouldn't push yourself into dating (unless it's been a long time and you're quickly becoming a hermit-like recluse). If you don't feel like you're ready, then perhaps you aren't. You do need to have some social interaction though so don't lock yourself in your home away from the world either.

On the other hand, if you feel like you're ready to move on and put your past behind you then perhaps it's time to consider a few simple rules for dating after a breakup. Fortunately there aren't eight of them to remember. But these simple rules can help you make the most of those first, awkward dates you go on following a breakup. These are the rules you need to know for dating again after a breakup.

1) Don't talk about your ex the entire evening. Your date should be the center of your attention; NOT your ex. 2) Be positive. If you're looking for new beginnings then you need to start them on a positive note. 3) Leave the baggage of the past at home. This is not your ex; don't hold your date accountable for the pain your ex caused you. 4) End the date at the door. With your first date after a breakup you don't need the complication of sex no matter how tempted you might be. That invites a whole new world of complications into the picture that you're probably not ready for just yet.

There is nothing wrong with dating again after a breakup. Just give yourself time to be sure that you're ready to date and not more interested in trying to get your ex back or save your old relationship.