‘Relation-sipping’ explained as dating expert issues warning ahead of Valentine's Day

A relationship expert has shared a dating trend - and a warning - ahead of Valentine's Day.

When it comes to relationships, there are myriad approaches and preferences people have.

Films and TV might make us place a lot of importance on the grand gesture - someone turning up in a field of daffodils or hiring a plane to write your partner's name in the sky.

Of course, movie and social media romances are one thing, but that level of intensity might not fly in the real world.

Let's be honest - if someone actually showed up outside your home with a massive bunch of balloons, roses, and a load of handwritten signs professing their love, most of us would probably want to run the other way, or take out a restraining order.

And don't even start with overly elaborate public proposals.

But one approach to romance suggests a slightly less intense approach, instead focusing on the smaller ways that we can make our feelings known.

Valentine's Day is just around the corner (Tom Werner/Getty)

Pepsi has called this 'relation-sipping', because it's like taking a little sip of a drink rather than necking it.

Abi Blears, a dating expert at Thursday, the dating brand that's partnered with Pepsi in celebration of its Zero Sugars flavors, issued a warning about 'staged' romantic gestures.

She said: "The era of the 'Insta-worthy' date is over. GenZ can smell a staged moment a mile away and they’re actively opting out.

"Instead, we’re seeing a massive shift towards ‘Relation-sipping’ - those tiny, unpolished windows of real connection that don't require a suit or a three-month waiting list."

Research from the partnership has shown that 77 per cent of Gen-Z prefer 'smaller, sweeter' gestures over bigger ones. As for why grand gestures are turning people off, there are several reasons, as 37 per cent felt them to be intense, while 20 per cent found them to be impersonal, and 26 per cent thought they were inauthentic.

So what would be an example of 'relation-sipping'?

Small gestures are hugely important in a romantic relationship (Counter/Getty)

This is any small, understated gesture that communicates your affection.

Something simple, like remembering how your crush takes their coffee, complimenting someone's outfit, or even just sending someone a message wishing them a good morning or asking how their day was.

You could argue that a lot of these are things that you should probably just be doing in a healthy relationship anyway.

It doesn't need to be someone's birthday or Valentine's Day for your partner to appreciate being brought coffee in bed, or you buying them flowers just because.

Abi explained that this also has to go both ways, saying: “Relation-sipping only works if it’s a two-way street. Because these gestures are small, they can sometimes be overlooked if you aren’t paying attention.

"When your partner's 'relation-sips' maybe by sending you a song or grabbing your favourite drink, make sure to call it out. A simple "I love that you remembered I liked this," validates the effort. Then, echo the energy.

"It’s not about keeping score."