Coming out of the closet is difficult no doubt. It takes a lot of courage and confidence to openly admit to family and friends about your true self. Moreover, there is no right time to admit whether you like men, women, or are bisexual, it just has to be done at some point in your life to stop pretending and start living.

With age comes wisdom but also the added pressure of making the decision, accepting the consequences, and starting a new chapter in life where you are in control of what makes you happy. Know that researchers have tried to determine the average age during which men and women have generally come out and expressed their true interest in a person.

Here are a few tips that will help you overcome the challenges and find your partner with online dating.

Don’t stress out
You will be ready to tell your loved ones when it’s time, period! You don’t have to feel pressure to do so just because a close friend of yours or maybe a colleague from work confessed their preference and interest. Your happiness matters more than anyone else’s opinion or influence on the subject, so take your time and let it happen naturally. You must give yourself plenty of time to get acclimatized to the transition when you do confess.

Labels are not important
It is not uncommon to dislike labels in the beginning. For example, you will have trouble accepting people referring to you as gay or lesbian when all your adult life you have maintained that you were straight. Understand that the labels and stereotypes are branded by societal pressure and it is not on you to justify the same.

Learn from people
Many have come out of the closet before you, and they must have faced similar challenges that you will also have to overcome. Reading about their experience and understanding their approach to the subject matter will allow you to gain more confidence to prepare you to come out when the time is right. You can also contact people who are actively dating and have used mainstream dating websites to find their potential partner. Read the testimonials and experiences of people who have made a successful transition into their new life and have managed to find true love.

Confide in one person first
You don’t have to tell everyone at once. Find that one person you trust. It can be a close friend, an office colleague, or a family member. Better yet, talking to someone who has already overcome the many trials during their transition will boost your confidence. It will only get easier after you have managed to tell one person, then two, and so on. The more you communicate and break the news, the better will be your experience each time, earning you confidence points to announce it confidently to everyone.

Stereotypes are not relevant
Gay men and women don’t fit the stereotype projected a couple of decades ago. There will be similarities in certain personality traits, but being gay or lesbian does not define your personality the way people used to back when the concept was relatively new and not out in the open as it is today.

The experience will be undoubtedly be new, the challenges unique, and the obstacles tough to overcome. However, you will be victorious in your quest to find love after making the transition in your life. Popular dating websites and mobile applications like Grindr, OkCupid, Plenty Of Fish®, Chappy, Bumble, and even Tinder provide the online tools necessary to help you in your quest to find love.