Sabrina Romanoff, psychologist, on relationship green flags that should help “you feel grounded and at ease”

More and more American singles say they’re having a tougher time finding a soul mate. One of the main methods of meeting potential partners over the past decade has been dating apps, but those are falling out of favor, and increasing numbers feel that they are unsafe.

On top of that, men have developed a phobia to asking women for their telephone number. All this has led to a trend among single Americans of “investing less time, effort, and money in dating,” according to a Dating News.

With that in mind, it would be helpful to know what to look for as you start out a relationship so you’re not wasting time. Fortunately, psychologist and relationship expert for Hily, Sabrina Romanoff, shared with CNBC make it five green flags to look out for that will let you know a romance has a chance to blossom.

Relationship green flags to know if you’ve found a keeper

Romanoff begins by saying that you should look for consistency in a partner noting that just about anyone can maintain a perfect partner façade for the first month of dating. However, you should keep an eye out to see if they are taking the time to truly listen to you, inquiring about issues that concern you or taking you on dates revolving around interests you’ve shared with them. Their attention to you shouldn’t just be limited to when you are out on a date as well.

Similarly, you want someone who makes their intentions clear and communicates them to you, then follows through on what they’ve said. “How we feel in dating is a big reaction and reflection of what our partner is showing us. When your partner is uncertain or ambiguous about what they want, it inevitably breeds anxiety,” Romanoff points out.

While we all can feel a bit nervous when going out on a date, feeling anxious like you have to perform for them is not a good sign. Instead, you should “feel grounded and at ease” which is your “gut instinct telling you that you can trust them,” the expert says.

Another green flag deals with how they react when they’ve messed up. As the saying goes, “to err is human to forgive is divine,” but a person has to take accountability for their mistakes and be able to apologize says the relationship expert. The only way to grow and evolve is if we learn from our errors and take steps to correct them.

Finally, in order to have a stable relationship you need to have an emotionally stable partner. Romanoff advises to observe how the person you’re dating handles stressful situations, whether they have a short temper and if they can put themselves in someone else’s shoes. We can all have a bad day, but if everyday is as such for the person you’re dating it’s a feature, not a bug.

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