When life gets busy, dating can often feel like going through the motions. We find someone we like the look of and arrange to meet up, with varying levels of success. And when it comes to what we look for in a potential match, that can often feel like an endless cycle too: the same physical characteristics, personality traits or even career paths pique our interest and stoke our attraction.

But according to dating app Inner Circle, only one in five singles say dating their ‘type’ is going well, causing them to get stuck in a “groundhogging” cycle where dating the same kind of person produces the same (often unsuccessful) results.

“It refers to the idea that people are going for the same type of person over and over again, whilst expecting different results. People pick out someone who fits their ideal type, date them, but end up feeling underwhelmed. Instead of breaking out of this cycle, when they turn back to dating apps, they end up swiping someone else who fits the same profile. The groundhogging cycle resumes,” the app explains.

However, while 72% of people Inner Circle asked said that they had a ‘type’, only one in four were willing to date someone different. So why do we keep dating the same types of people and hoping for a different result?

Over 60% of people said that having high standards plays a large role in this decision, as they considered dating a different type ‘settling’. 14% admitted to groundhogging becoming a habit that they know isn’t great for them, but they can’t seem to shake.

However, according to Inner Circle, sticking too closely to a type is crushing daters’ chances of meeting great people.

“Daters might know what they want, but the research shows it’s not working out. 4 in 5 report that dating their ‘type’ isn’t going that well – some say they go on a few good dates but no one has blown them away, and so

So what can be done to break the bad dating cycle?

“I can’t remember the last time I heard of dating a ‘type’ working out. For most people, when they think about their best dates, it’s with someone who surprised them - someone they wouldn’t usually go for,” says Inner Circle’s dating expert, Charly Lester.

Suggesting that height, hair colour or even occupation don’t make for better conversation or a stronger connection, Lester suggests scrapping prescriptive ways of thinking and opening ourselves up to different dating possibilities, without changing our core values.

It’s not about compromising or settling, just broadening our horizons – which sounds like a pretty good idea all-round.

Images: Getty