It’s date night! Once you’ve prepared well for meeting IRL, here are our first date tips that will help keep you safe and in a healthy state of mind to have fun.

Physical safety

• Arrange your own transport to and from a date. This keeps your address private and means you can leave whenever you need to.
• Remember there’s no pressure to greet your date in any particular way.
• If you’re drinking, keep an eye on your drink at all times.
• If something seems strange or feels uncomfortable, listen to your gut.
• Ask questions rather than trying to rationalize strange behavior.
• It’s ok to leave early. Politely say that you have to go and leave money for your drinks.

Nerves & anxiety

• Your date likely wants to impress too, so they’re probably just as nervous.
• Put yourself first! See the date as a chance to gauge how you feel around the other person, rather than the most important thing being impressing them.
• Embrace a little silence. No need to worry about the occasional quiet moment. They happen and often reveal way more about how compatible you are.
• Knowing that dating is about exploration (meaning you’re not a failure if a date doesn’t go well) may help to take some of the pressure off.