If you’re anything like me, you’ve been using online dating as a tool to meet people for several years. Every so often, I want to throw my laptop across the room and scream “I can’t take it anymore! Where is he?” Admit it, online dating can sometimes feel like having a second job. You go online, chat with someone for a while, and then hopefully it progresses into a date or two….or more. But the odds aren’t always on our side. But I beg you not to give up! Don’t get discouraged. Here are 5 suggestions to overcome online dating fatigue.

Yes, you have my permission to go out and socialize with your friends – solo. Take a break from the dates, smell the roses, take a road trip, study an instrument, whatever it takes. When you’re ready, go back to online dating. It’s that simple. It’s ok to be single for a while! Refresh your settings when you feel online dating fatigue coming on. Whenever I log into a particular online dating site, two of my guy friends show up immediately as matches. They’re wonderful people, but I’d like to expand my horizons. So, change up your settings! For example, maybe your soul mate lives outside of the 25 mile radius you’ve set as your limit. Change your location status, increase the age bracket by 5 years (either way), remove some of the barriers (religion, hair color, height). You might find that you’re opening your horizons up to a whole new group of great, datable people!

Photos are the first impact point in online dating. We also use photos as a tool to express how we look and what we enjoy doing. Take some fresh photos! Grab a friend or family member, and your digital camera. Take a walk, visit your local beach, or drive to a pretty setting. Set up a 30 minute photo shoot. Be sure to take some face shots and full body images. And ladies, wear red! It is said to be the most attractive color to men in online dating photos.

There are hundreds of online dating sites out there and many of them are specialty sites that connect people with similar interests, religions, sexual orientation, geographic locations, etc. Expand your horizons and post your profile on one or two new sites. Send an introductory email. On Singles Warehouse, you can do a search for potential mates who meet your criteria and then send them a general introductory email. It casts a wide net, but eventually, it will stick with only those who like what you had to say. You’ll get an opportunity to reach out to a lot of people in an easy way. You never know who will be on the receiving end of your email. What have you tried to keep yourself from getting online dating fatigue?