First Date Tips To Make It Suck A Little Less
Nine times out of ten, first dates are awkward and make you cringe and people tend to avoid them at all costs. Unfortunately, if you want a boyfriend they are semi-conducive to accomplishing that. I would love it if everyone just fell in love with their pizza delivery person. I want to use my uncomfortable experiences to help others save themselves. Sadly, that’s just not the way the world works. So I guess we have to get out there and actually leave the house. You can trust me with the first date tips because I have been on plenty of uncomfortable first dates and have learned my way around the awkward tension.
1. Wear Something Comfortable that you’re Confident In
Having a go-to first date outfit is probably one of the best things first date tips I could give you. By having a go-to first date outfit I mean having an outfit that you wear for every first date, one that you know you look good in. If you know you look good, it is easier to be less awkward. You could have a couple options but if you find one great one you don’t have to worry about being an outfit repeater because the viewer always changes. It depends on what you do but a safe choice will always be jeans and a cute flowy top.
2. Do Something Casual
This may be personal preference but doing something laid back and casual on a first date takes a lot of the pressure off of things. When guys immediately go for a fancy dinner as a first date I feel super uncomfortable. This is more so a first date tip for whoever is planning the date (which could be you!). I would rather meet up at a brewery, go to a bar for a drink and some games, even a trivia night can be a good time. It’s nice to have a guy plan the night but it can also be nice for you to give some suggestions. Guys tend to like when girls are a bit more interactive in the planning process, it makes you seem more interested in him.
3. Don’t Talk too Much Before the Date
Talk enough to make sure this guy is legit and safe but don’t go into major details about your lives. If you talk too much before the date it can be hard to come up with the conversation and there is nothing worse on a first date than awkward silence. This first date tip can save you from a lot of small talk filled the silence. It’s better to go on a date early on than to text for a couple weeks and have it go nowhere. Having a lot to talk about and having a lot to learn about a new person can be terrifying but also really exciting!
4. Be you, 100%
This is probably the most important first date tip. It’s a given in all aspects of life but especially in dating. If you’re going on these first dates in the hopes of finding someone to be with as your partner, it’s important to be your true self. There is someone out there for everyone and if a person can’t appreciate you for your entire being then they don’t deserve to have you in their life. If you are working too hard to impress someone on your first date, it’s going to be a long road of keeping up with that facade during the entirety of your relationship.
5. Have a drink (or 5)
Notice most of the places I came up with included alcohol. Any first date tip that includes alcohol has a fine line between working well as a way to calm your nerves and ending with you drunk. I think it’s a good way to take the edge off. I’m not saying you need to get drunk to survive the first date but I don’t think a light drink or a beer is going to hinder you. It’s also a good way to get to know a person, see what kind of alcohol they drink and usually, it will spark a few conversations.
6. Do your Research
This goes along with what I said above in making sure this date is safe. The “mom” in me is coming out with this first date tip. Its 2020 and going into a date blindly can be terrifying. It being 2020 also give you virtually no excuse to not do your social media stalking. Especially if you’ve met them from an app, you never know who could show up. This is why Snapchat can be a great resource in your research, make sure you see their face in a photo they have to take before meeting up with them.
7. Do Something Interactive
By interactive, I mean going somewhere that you know has games you can play, something like bowling or even ax throwing if you’re feeling daring. This can break up some of the tension and awkward silence that comes along with the situation. Even if you think you’re going to be bad at whichever activity you chose to do, sometimes that can make it even more entertaining for both of you. Breaking up awkward with awkward may sound like an odd first date tip but it tends to work.
8. Don’t Be Afraid to Say No
You’re allowed to not feel the same way about a guy, you’re allowed to not sleep with him or even kiss him on the first date, you’re allowed to say no to doing things that make you uncomfortable. Going into a first date trying to please someone and not thinking about yourself is a dangerous game. You could totally fall for someone over text and meet them in person and not feel even remotely the same and that’s okay. This first date tip is crucial in your happiness.
