You were in class and had a conversation with someone you found attractive. You met a very interesting person at the gym who you wanted to get to know better. A co-worker you’ve been cyberstalking for the longest time asked you out for coffee.
However it happened, you met someone you are interested in and they asked you out on a date. And now you’re probably freaking out. Chill.
First dates can be nerve-wracking and make you question everything about yourself, but you really don’t need to worry. We have some wonderful tips for preparing for the first date that will put you at ease and help the night go as smoothly as possible.
Relax
Don’t get your panties in a wad over a first date. If it doesn’t go well, it’s not the end of the world. There's no point in stressing yourself out and constantly thinking about the first date questions you should ask or the things you should say.
But if you do find yourself getting nervous and stressing out on the day of, take some time to relax. Read, write in your journal, take a bath, do whatever you do when you need to take the edge off and calm your nerves. Ideally, this will help you sweat a little less and have a little more fun rather than worrying the entire time.
Do a Breath Check
You still want to make a good first impression, and you’ll likely be sitting close and talking for a majority or part of the date at least. So brush your teeth, pack some mints, and you’ll be just fine. If the breath is still a problem even after brushing, there might be other reasons for your bad breath that you aren’t aware of.
So make a mental note to ask your dentist about that on your next visit, and keep plenty of mints on hand.
Dress for the Setting
This probably seems like an obvious one, but it’s important. You want to look good, but make sure it’s appropriate for the setting. If you’re going dancing, you probably don’t want to wear tight skinny jeans or hard-to-walk-in heels. Likewise, if you’re going on a fancy dinner date, you don’t want to show up in ripped jeans, converse, and your favorite hoodie.
And if you’re not sure what to wear for the date you are going on, ask your date what they are wearing, or ask some friends what they would wear. They’ll be happy to help.
Take Precautions
Okay, so this one might make the relaxing part a little bit more difficult, but how well do you know this person? Just make sure you take the precautions you need to stay safe and to keep the date going well. Tell someone where you’re going and when you plan to be back. This is just dating 101, so don’t get paranoid, just be safe.
Be Yourself
As cliche as it may sound, this is the most important thing to do on any date. If you can’t be yourself around someone or they don’t like who you are, they don’t deserve you. But you should be comfortable being yourself, talking about your real interests and hobbies, and feel comfortable doing so with the person you want to continue dating. If you don’t feel like you can be yourself, then it’s probably a sign to move on.
On the other side of things, make sure you are open to allowing your date to be his or herself as well. If either of you is pretending, that won’t help this first date blossom into anything beyond that.
And lastly, though it’s not part of our five things, make sure to have fun! Dating is supposed to be fun and help you connect with other people. So make the most of it and have a great time.
