First, we had red flags.

Then came the green (good traits), pink (contrasting views) and beige (bland behaviour).

But now, there’s a new dating flag – and this time, it’s not about the colour but rather, what you do with it.

A new trend, half-masting, refers to taking a more reflective approach to dating.

Hayley Quinn, dating expert for Match, explains: ‘Half-masting is deliberately taking time to assess whether a relationship is right for you, by taking a step back.

‘It’s about taking your time to figure out how you’re feeling about your relationship, and if you are feeling uncertainty, giving yourself time to work out what’s causing that.

‘All relationships ebb and flow, and before you end things taking time out to reflect is a smart thing to do.’

Essentially, you’re not totally committed (full-mast), but equally, you haven’t decided to end things either (lowering the flag all together). You’re somewhere in between.

So, what steps can you take to try and work things out?

Hayley says: ‘You could see someone slightly less often or reassert your independence by switching your focus to another area of your life. 

‘During this time out you may have time to process where your niggling doubts have come from -was that really a red flag you just noticed? Or, you may realise that having more personal space was just what you needed.’

But it’s also important to ensure you’re not giving your partner mixed messages.

Putting your partner at half-mast too often – or for too long – could cause problems.

‘The only caveat to this is that half-masting can only be a temporary state,’ says Hayley.

‘Drop out of full participation in your relationship for too long, or too frequently, and this will also destabilise your relationship altogether.

‘Also be cautious around hunting for red flags. Yes, some partners will exhibit toxic behaviour and you have to get out.

‘However, relationships benefit from the both of you communicating about how you’re feeling and coming to a solution together.’

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