“Anxiety” regarding dating and commitment after a big gap with no relationships.

Hi everyone!

I would like to ask for opinion about the matter referrenced in the post title.

Background: I’m a male in my late 20’s. Since I was a teenger I’ve been in 3 “big” relationships, each of them lasting around 2 or 3 years (during highschool, college and after starting to work, respectively). Between those periods I’ve also had the casual sporadic relationships of a few months or 1 night hookup, nothing serious.

The thing is that, since mid 2020, I’ve been single. It has been a natural process, to be honest. The global pandemic (home confinement here in Europe) + the fact that I’ve been focused on personal projects and work has made me neglect the “sentimental” aspect of me. Not in a conscious way, but several factors led to that. Not that it worries me, but it is importat to describe the facts.

I’ve recently decided to meet new people, so this August I’ve downloaded the usual dating apps (which I won’t mention to avoid spam).

I managed to get to talk to different people, and I’ve arranged a date with one of them. If you want specifics, we’ll be watching the perseids that will be visible here in Europe this weekend, and then dinning something at my place, watch a movie and let’s see where it goes from there.

Here comes the problem. I’m starting to feel some kind of weird feeling, I would describe it as anxiety, maybe. I’m trying to understand where it comes from, and I think it is because I’ve got so used to be comfortable alone that the fact of meeting someone new and developing feelings and commitement scares the s\*\*\* out of me.

Yes, I understand that it is an irrational feeling, I haven’t even met this person, I obviously have zero feelings towards her. But I keep thinking “what if I keep meeting this person and develop feelings” “I can’t commit to a relationship”, and honestly it even makes me feel a little sick, it is so stupid.

I wonder if any of you have ever had this feeling. Could it be another kind of post pandemic issue xD?

Thank you very much for taking your time reading this.

Cheers!