At the end of 2021, the death of the situationship was one of the dating trends predicted to emerge in 2022 – and it’s safe to say that hasn’t quite been the case.

Defined as a space between a committed relationship and something that is more than a friendship, situationships are something a lot of us millennials will have experienced at one time or another, with dating app Hinge reporting that a third (34%) of users have found themselves trapped in a situationship before.

Some will no doubt be content to stay there, but what do you do when you want no part of it?

Well, there are ways to free yourself from the shackles of a situationship as well as stop it in its tracks before it gets going – and it can all begin with those initial interactions, especially for the dating app users out there.

Making it clear from the get-go that a situationship is not what you’re after can be imperative, and apps like Hinge are making it easier by providing a feature that allows you to specify what your dating intentions are and filter out those who want different things by putting your dating goals front and centre.

“On your profile, it’s important to focus on ways that you might see you and your match getting to know one another,” says dating expert Moe Ari Brown.

“For instance, you might not know that you want a long-term commitment right now but you know you want to go on dates and explore the food scene with someone amazing. Sharing this communicates clearly what dating consists of for you and leaves less room for assumption.”

If you’re looking to be as clear as possible while dating, in a bid to ditch situationships or even assess how your dating intentions change over time, Brown recommends two key things – starting with being transparent.

“I’ve found that daters want intentions to be clear in order to cut down on confusion about where the relationship is going,” they say.

“Transparency is encouraged as it is the first step toward you sharing authentically with yourself and then, ultimately, with a match.”

Next up, Brown says it is important to communicate your intentions as clearly as possible.

“Intentions can shift so it’s important to be honest about where you are,” shares Brown. “If they do evolve, communicate any shifts to keep everyone on the same page and continue to build the trust.”

The nature of relationships can evolve over time meaning what our initial intentions were can change. But knowing what you want – and what you don’t – can help you navigate through the minefield of dating, with transparency and communication being key to getting in and out of any type of relationship that doesn’t serve you.

Image: Getty