Navigating Relationships In Your 20s

Establishing meaningful relationships in your 20s can be difficult. That’s why we’re here to help. This is our map to navigating the world of sex in your 20s. Especially with the COVID-19 vaccinations out, we’re all ready for a new normal. We broke sexual relationships into 4 different categories to make it all a bit easier.

The Hookup

This is the classic one-night stand. No expectations and no attachments. The hookup is a fun, usually one-time event where we can experience the exhilarating rush of being with someone new and unfamiliar. The hookup can seem intimidating nowadays with COVID, but if both of you are vaccinated and feel comfortable about it, why not go for it?  

COVID has definitely changed the way people think about hookups. Sure, some people may be excited to get out of their apartment and finally get back into the dating world, but many of us are more reluctant to sleep with a stranger now. COVID has definitely made everyone more hyper-conscious about personal hygiene, germs, and those colds no one really knows whether it's the flu or a sinus infection. Quarantine has also left us craving connection, so the one-time hookup may not be for everyone, which is perfectly fine. If you end up hitting it off with your post-COVID hookup buddy, then the hookup could become a casual and consistent activity.

Friends With Benefits

The classic no feelings attached, strictly sex relationship. Friends with benefits could honestly go either way. Both parties could be on the same page and not let emotions interfere with the sex, whereas the opposite could happen and one party could become more emotionally invested than the other — which isn’t fun for anyone. Whatever it may be, communication is key to this relationship. Friends with benefits have proven to work for some people, but just be aware that it can be hard to not get attached to a person you are continuously seeing, especially for a post-COVID relationship. However, friends with benefits could prove beneficial for those easing back into the idea of dating people — there isn’t a strict label on anything so therefore no pressure.  

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The In-Between

This can be a little dangerous. Lines are blurred and unless there is a lot of communication from both parties, it can get a bit messy. This is a relationship that’s in between the friends with benefits stage and relationship. If the two of you resemble the behavior of a couple when you are alone together, then maybe take a step back and express what you want before it becomes too late. The only advice we have for this one is to know exactly what you want, so you can either stay in “the between” or express how you’re feeling in order to move on to better things.  

The Relationship

Ah the relationship. The one thing that seems so appealing and desirable, but can be living hell if not done right. It’s the connection some people crave, while it’s also the connection others run from whenever brought up in conversation. As human beings, we want someone to want us, to need our presence. The relationship is usually what seems to come last these days. You’ve already seen each other naked and been to each other’s houses or apartments but haven’t put the label on it. Of course it’s different for everyone, but the order nowadays seems to be in reverse. The relationship is dating. You become each other’s significant other and best friend, as cheesy as it sounds. The relationship has many ups and downs, but the minute it becomes more toxic than tantalizing is probably when you need to start reevaluating things.

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