We might not shout it from the rooftops, but every girl’s got needs. And no, you don’t have to be in a serious relationship for these needs to be fulfilled. Unfortunately, knowing that you can be in a “no strings attached” relationship is not enough, an understanding of the rules of the game and how to take care of yourself is invaluable. Because despite the fact these are meant to be fun and care free, if you are not authentic and aware of the psychological impacts this type of dating can have, you can find yourself in a bit of a tricky situation.

Below is an outline of some of the rules you should be aware of.

But first, be honest with yourself – is casual sex your thing? Is it right for you? Is this something you can handle emotionally or will jealousy come up?

Make things clear in the beginning, communicate with your partner.

You might not want the same thing, and you cannot guess that the other person knows what you want or don’t want. Many people often expect their boyfriend or girlfriend to be like a mind reader, which isn’t going to work. If you are not interested in anything serious, you should let the other person know your intentions at the outset. This is important and many psychologists would argue its critical. Letting the other person know what you are into will give them the chance to decide whether or not they wish to be in that arrangement with you.

Show Respect to the person you are dealing with.

Respect is invaluable in every relationship, which means that you should show kindness to the other person if you want to be treated kindly and respectfully. Like any other relationship, you are dealing with a human being and the success of that relationship depends on whether or not you are willing to show respect.

Focus on other important things.

 gives you the freedom to explore, not just people, but the things that matter to you. A long term and serious boyfriend or girlfriend requires a lot of mental energy and time. So something more casual and light hearted can give you the sexual and  social release you need, but beyond that, work on the things that are important to you like your health, work or school, or personal hobbies that you want to give more time to.

Follow your heart when you get started with this.

When you are looking for the perfect partner or for a storybook wedding and marriage you must compromise, always check in on your partner, or spend a considerable amount of time with your better half. But, these rules or expectations do not apply when there are no strings, meaning that you can do what you please. 

Keep your circle small.

This type of dating gives you the freedom to date as many or as few people as you’d like. But, despite the freedom, you need to keep the number small or a number you can handle comfortably.

Avoid any kind of possessive behavior.

A lot of guys struggle with this one. Being possessive and controlling is a good way to destroy your bond you have been developing. You have to allow freedom and space here. Since you get to see whoever else you want to, they do to, and you cannot get jealous about it. On the same note, you shouldn’t make any future plans going beyond a few days. Making long-term plans makes you territorial, and this will not work in a place like w4m maps.

Also, avoid asking for personal favors and creating a kind of debt between you and the other person.

End things if they get clingy, and end things like the grownup you are. Here, be honest about everything, honesty is better than ghosting.