Hannah's journey began following a breakup . After she and her partner of three years called it quits in 2018, the 30-year-old school teacher vowed to never sacrifice her needs again. But she didn't do so by creating an ultimatum or adding what she wanted out of a new relationship in her dating-app bio .
She simply created a relationship contract. "I just wrote down [my needs] for myself," she tells PS. Then, when she met her now partner in 2021, she handed over the list, which included everything from getting nerdy about her hobbies and being able to vent her anxieties to swapping hungover Sundays for a more fulfilling bike ride or yoga class.
"He saw it and joked about signing it," says Hannah. "And then we were both like, 'Wait. Great idea.
'" The idea of a dating contract has been all over social media, with 46.8 million posts about "relationship contracts" on TikTok currently . And though it may sound like it's doing too much, a relationship contract is really just a way to set clear boundaries and expectations.
(No legal jargon here). Of course, relationship contracts might not be for everyone, but for those like Hannah, they brought intentionality back into her dating life by boosting communication and accountability. "Plus, they're not as serious as they sound.
We consider our dating contract fun," she says. Molly Burrets , PhD, is a licensed clinical psychologist. What Is a Relationship Contract? According to licensed clinical psychologist Molly Burrets, PhD, a relati.