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Dating is all about having fun and meeting new people, right? You go out and have a few drinks, eat great food, and have interesting conversations. Maybe you dance and laugh and have a few exciting first kisses. Sounds like fun, doesn't it?

Unfortunately, to many daters, it also sounds like a fantasy. Because while it should be fun to meet so many new people and do so many new things, the truth is that it gets old quick. When you've been single for longer than you want, and especially after you've experienced a series of unsuccessful dates, it's easy for dating fatigue to set in.

Yes, there is a term for that tired, frustrated feeling you get when you've been dating for a long time. It's called dating fatigue, and it happens a lot more than you might think. After all, you can only go through the "catch his eye, get her number, have a first date, try for a first kiss, see things fizzle out" process so many times before you feel like you're beating your head against the wall. Your life starts to feel like a really long showing of the movie "Groundhog Day."

But when do you do when you find yourself with dating fatigue? Do you give up on dating completely?

No, of course not. There are plenty of ways to shake off the frustrating feeling of "been there, done that" that don't require you to live a single life forever. And one of them is... giving up. At least, giving up for a short period of time. When you're burned out on anything, it's always a good idea to give yourself a break. Take a couple of weekends for yourself. Sit around in front of the TV and watch movies, or go out with your friends without scoping for dates. Once you've had a little while without much romantic contact, you'll begin to miss it. And you'll want to get right back into the game.

Another way to "treat" dating fatigue is the ever-effective preemptive strike: avoid dating fatigue altogether. Sound impossible? Actually, it's not. Because dating fatigue isn't about the actual experience of going on dates. Instead, it's about the thoughts, feelings, and especially the expectations that you bring along on every date. And those are things that you have a lot more control over than you might think.

So start out by looking at each date for what it is: a fun, casual night out with somebody new. And then act that way. When you hang super high expectations on a date, you're bound to be disappointed. Which makes sense, because finding the right person for you isn't going to be easy-- and it shouldn't be. When going out with somebody new, tell yourself that you have no reason to expect that this person will be "the one." Just relax and try to have fun... the rest will work itself out on its own.

The less pressure you put on dating, the harder it will be for dating fatigue to set in. If you make your number one goal for every date to have a good time, you will. And you may just meet Mr. or Miss Right in the process.

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