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.