Everyone’s wants and needs when it comes to love and lust are a little different, and that’s okay. A long-term, committed relationship isn’t for everyone, and there’s no one-size-fits-all when it comes to romance and intimacy.
But if the conventional route of marriage and kids isn’t for you, what other options do you have? Well, in truth, your choices when it comes to physical and romantic relationships are endless! The most important thing is that all parties in the relationship are in agreement about how things will work. If you’re curious about how some people navigate a non-conventional alternative to monogamy, here are a few examples.
One Night Stands
This term has negative connotations that are deeply rooted in societal norms, but there’s nothing wrong with finding your intimate moments in this way. If you’re someone who wants to have their physical needs met without the emotional effort of a romantic relationship, you could skip the dating game and head straight into the physical realm. This is made easier with platforms like SPDate app where both parties can make it clear that the interaction will be purely physical.
When you use this tactic and have multiple sexual partners, it’s extra important to use precautions and be careful to protect your health and the health of your partners.
Friends With Benefits
When you have someone in your life that is a great friend to you and you share a mutual sexual attraction, falling into a friends with benefits situation can be easy and very satisfying. This will usually involve an ongoing sexual relationship with someone you get along well with, but without a romantic component or any form of commitment or exclusivity. You will typically have the freedom to explore other sexual partners as well.
Open Relationships
Plainly and simply, an open relationship is when both partners consent to the other person finding other sexual partners. Usually, in this sense, this is limited to physical interaction and doesn’t involve romantic relationships with other people, but there are many different types of romantic relationships, and each couple is open to discussing what they want and need in each case.
Swinging
Another term that has a bad rep: swinging refers to committed couples that also have physical relationships with people outside of their own marriage or relationship. There are many different variations of how this can be done, and it all depends on what each individual couple prefers.
This type of relationship works well for someone who wants a committed romantic relationship but doesn’t want to be tied down physically. It is, however, important that both partners are in agreement about what is acceptable and what isn’t.
Polyamory
This simply refers to relationships that include multiple lovers – either emotionally or sexually or both. Once again, this can look very different depending on each relationship, and could be limited to three specific people or open to various different parties. All people in the relationship might live together or separately, they might be exclusive and committed between one another or they might be open to exploring other partners.
Relationship Anarchy
Another important approach or viewpoint towards romantic and sexual relationships is ‘relationship anarchy’ which can be hard to define. In simple terms, it refers to the idea that all relationships, romantic, sexual, familial, or platonic should be placed on equal footing with one another and that a romantic partner shouldn’t take preference over another relationship in your life. This viewpoint also disregards any form of rules or guidelines within a relationship, which allows for all people involved to do whatever pleases them without repercussions.
Final Thoughts
No matter what label (if any) you choose to put on your romantic or sexual relationships, the most important thing to consider is satisfaction, communication, and consent. Whichever way you choose to find your romance and intimacy, it’s crucial that all parties involved are in agreement about the status of the relationship.
If you’re only looking for a one night stand, make sure that this is clear to your partner. If you want romantic commitment but prefer to explore when it comes to sexual partners, discuss this with your primary partner and ensure that they are happy with the arrangement before making any decisions. If you and a partner disagree about what is and isn’t okay in terms of monogamy, it might be best to part ways and meet someone who shares your views and desires, so that everyone involved is satisfied.