First dates are awesome. Meeting someone new and more often than not, for the first time, should be an exciting, butterfly provoking experience. It really is a great time to embrace the unknown and make the most of getting to grips with a new personality, who is hopefully looking for the same things in a relationship that you are.
The problem is we forget that first dates can be nerve racking for even the most confident of extrovert daters out there and having a very first date is often associated with two individuals checking out the spark and chemistry with a measuring stick. I don't think it would be wrong to say that weighing someone up totally on a first date is a terrible idea.
It really is hard to judge who they are, what they are all about and their moral fiber on a first date as cutting through the nerves can be tough to do. Lots of people use first dates as an excuse to interview people with a well thought out Q&A process, almost like checking through their credentials. Even the most experienced of daters out there may not know that this is a recipe for disaster. Here are 7 pointers to help you navigate that first date:
Here are a few pointers for a first date:
#1 Be Yourself- everyone else is taken.
#2 Ask open questions such as - what interests you? What are you passionate about?
#3 Keep eye contact- building rapport is key to making friends, and who knows maybe more.
#4 Stay engaged- switch off your technology and tune into your date.
#5 Be polite- even if you are not attracted you can still be the lovely person that you are.
#6 Stick to a coffee or one glass of your favourite tipple.
#7 When leaving don't hang around for a follow up, do it soonest.
If you had a nice time on the first date always arrange a second meet up. This is truly where you get a proper insight into someones personality, the nerves from the first date will have subsided and having already met each other chances are you will have warmed to the company and can be more open about who you really are. This date is the best chance you can give your dating life to understanding that spark.
Hope this helps you along the path to understanding what first dates should really be about- it's just a hello!