– ARTICLE –
= Tips for Your First Date =
You just got your first date,
Now what?
Congratulations! You’re probably reading this if you got your first date with someone (if not, please keep reading, it might come in handy later), but now you’re in this constant loop of “what if I mess up?”. That’s normal, even I still get the jitters when I go for a first date, but I think there’s a few things you can do to make sure the date you go on is a memorable one for both of you, and opens you up for more dates in the future with the person you’re interested in, so let’s have a look!
Decide:
Passive activities vs Active activities
What activities you go for of course depends on what you and your date like, but we recommend choosing something active where you both get to do something! A trip to the movie theater may be nice and relaxing, but usually it doesn’t cultivate the same level of engagement with one another compared to a game of air hockey for example.
Do something fun and exciting that’ll keep you both involved! Build stuff together, solve challenges together, or go for an adrenaline rush together! Something you can actively do together can help cement those memories of the first date, and your partner will remember how much fun it was to spend time with you that they’ll probably wanna go again!
Be prepared and
Arrive on time
The importance of punctuality cannot be overstated. If you’re really keen with the person you’re dating, give them a glimpse of your appreciation by being there on time.
Being late for avoidable reasons is a small but glaring sign that you are not willing to go just that little extra mile for them. You may think that’s a hyperbole, as being a little late is not a big deal. But showing that you care about even the small deals helps indicate to the other person that you’re the real deal. Give off a good first impression and show them that you appreciate everything about them, including their time.
If it’s for unavoidable reasons like emergency work or family issues, then it’s good to communicate with the person you’re dating about it. Tell them earnestly what’s going on and they should be pretty understanding about it. Offer to make it up to them when you actually meet, it’s important to show your kindness and not leave them on a cold note.
Don’t just hear,
Listen to them
Active listening is a good skill to have when you’re going on a date. Listen to the other person’s talking points, interject with brief responses like “I see” to show them you’re still paying attention, and respond in a way that relates to what they’re talking about. Don’t under any circumstances divide your attention by looking at the phone, you’re there to listen to your date, not to just hear them. Give them full attention so they feel like they’re worth your effort and time.
Make sure it’s a two way street too! See if they listen to your talking points too and respond in kind. If you feel like it’s terribly one sided, then perhaps its good to dodge that bullet early on the first date and find someone else. Partners deserve to be heard, and if the first date feels like talking to a wall, then maybe that’s something to consider moving forward.
This is a date, not the Joe Rogan podcast,
Avoid controversial topics
We already have a lot of harsh and stressful things to deal with in life, so maybe for the first date it’s a good approach to start off with topics that exude a more positive vibe.
That’s not to say you should just stick to surface-level conversations like the weather, but it’s good practice to avoid things like politics for example as that might not be the best thing to kick off a relationship with.
Later down the line after knowing each other more that’s definitely something you can both dive into if you want to, but it’s best to slowly work your way up to that point instead of going out guns blazing on your first date.
The only person who can be you is you,
So be yourself
Yes this is incredibly cliche, but it’s a cliche that carries truth with it. If you’re pretending to be someone else, you will never be as good as the person you’re pretending to be. But only you can be the best you.
That’s not a greenlight to be rude and obnoxious however. Being yourself means to let the best of your personality shine through. Share your interests if you have some, crack some jokes if you’re good at it, be a textbook romantic like one out of a Hallmark movie. Whatever vibe feels most comfortable with you, give it a shot. Either your partner sees the best in you and enjoys you for it, or it doesn’t work out and you can continue finding a person that’s a better fit for you! Win-win either way.
Split the bill,
Not the relationship
Regardless of whoever you are, it’s just simple good manners to offer to split the bill evenly. You’re here for the other person’s time and company, not their wallet. Show them that fact by paying your share of the bill. The moment you start expecting the other person to pay for everything, you paint a red flag all over yourself that you’re a bullet that needs to be dodged. Don’t be that person and show some courtesy. People want to build relationships with someone they can trust and feel happy around, not someone who’ll leech off of them.
If you’re feeling comfortable with it, then maybe you can offer to pay for the full bill, and tell them it’s okay. Joke around, say maybe next time you go out together you two can take turns with the bill instead.
Tips for Your
First Date
Tips to help you spice up your date
DATING TIPS ⦿ DATING TIPS ⦿ DATING TIPS ⦿ DATING TIPS ⦿ DATING TIPS ⦿ DATING TIPS ⦿ DATING TIPS ⦿ DATING TIPS ⦿
You just got your first date,
Now what?
Congratulations! You’re probably reading this if you got your first date with someone (if not, please keep reading, it might come in handy later), but now you’re in this constant loop of “what if I mess up?”. That’s normal, even I still get the jitters when I go for a first date, but I think there’s a few things you can do to make sure the date you go on is a memorable one for both of you, and opens you up for more dates in the future with the person you’re interested in, so let’s have a look!
Decide:
Passive activities vs Active activities
What activities you go for of course depends on what you and your date like, but we recommend choosing something active where you both get to do something! A trip to the movie theater may be nice and relaxing, but usually it doesn’t cultivate the same level of engagement with one another compared to a game of air hockey for example.
Do something fun and exciting that’ll keep you both involved! Build stuff together, solve challenges together, or go for an adrenaline rush together! Something you can actively do together can help cement those memories of the first date, and your partner will remember how much fun it was to spend time with you that they’ll probably wanna go again!
Be prepared and
Arrive on time
The importance of punctuality cannot be overstated. If you’re really keen with the person you’re dating, give them a glimpse of your appreciation by being there on time.
Being late for avoidable reasons is a small but glaring sign that you are not willing to go just that little extra mile for them. You may think that’s a hyperbole, as being a little late is not a big deal. But showing that you care about even the small deals helps indicate to the other person that you’re the real deal. Give off a good first impression and show them that you appreciate everything about them, including their time.
If it’s for unavoidable reasons like emergency work or family issues, then it’s good to communicate with the person you’re dating about it. Tell them earnestly what’s going on and they should be pretty understanding about it. Offer to make it up to them when you actually meet, it’s important to show your kindness and not leave them on a cold note.
Don’t just hear,
Listen to them
Active listening is a good skill to have when you’re going on a date. Listen to the other person’s talking points, interject with brief responses like “I see” to show them you’re still paying attention, and respond in a way that relates to what they’re talking about. Don’t under any circumstances divide your attention by looking at the phone, you’re there to listen to your date, not to just hear them. Give them full attention so they feel like they’re worth your effort and time.
Make sure it’s a two way street too! See if they listen to your talking points too and respond in kind. If you feel like it’s terribly one sided, then perhaps its good to dodge that bullet early on the first date and find someone else. Partners deserve to be heard, and if the first date feels like talking to a wall, then maybe that’s something to consider moving forward.
This is a date, not the Joe Rogan podcast,
Avoid controversial topics
We already have a lot of harsh and stressful things to deal with in life, so maybe for the first date it’s a good approach to start off with topics that exude a more positive vibe.
That’s not to say you should just stick to surface-level conversations like the weather, but it’s good practice to avoid things like politics for example as that might not be the best thing to kick off a relationship with.
Later down the line after knowing each other more that’s definitely something you can both dive into if you want to, but it’s best to slowly work your way up to that point instead of going out guns blazing on your first date.
The only person who can be you is you,
So be yourself
Yes this is incredibly cliche, but it’s a cliche that carries truth with it. If you’re pretending to be someone else, you will never be as good as the person you’re pretending to be. But only you can be the best you.
That’s not a greenlight to be rude and obnoxious however. Being yourself means to let the best of your personality shine through. Share your interests if you have some, crack some jokes if you’re good at it, be a textbook romantic like one out of a Hallmark movie. Whatever vibe feels most comfortable with you, give it a shot. Either your partner sees the best in you and enjoys you for it, or it doesn’t work out and you can continue finding a person that’s a better fit for you! Win-win either way.
Split the bill,
Not the relationship
Regardless of whoever you are, it’s just simple good manners to offer to split the bill evenly. You’re here for the other person’s time and company, not their wallet. Show them that fact by paying your share of the bill. The moment you start expecting the other person to pay for everything, you paint a red flag all over yourself that you’re a bullet that needs to be dodged. Don’t be that person and show some courtesy. People want to build relationships with someone they can trust and feel happy around, not someone who’ll leech off of them.
If you’re feeling comfortable with it, then maybe you can offer to pay for the full bill, and tell them it’s okay. Joke around, say maybe next time you go out together you two can take turns with the bill instead.
If the other person wants to treat you instead, ask them if that’s okay and tell them it’s okay to split the bill. If they insist, then it’s good to take them up on that offer and tell them you’re covering for it next time. Sometimes its good to just say thank you and receive rather, it makes them feel good.
Long story short, just be courteous. Splitting the bill is the default, but if either of you wants to treat the other, that’s not a bad thing either. But if either of you are forcing the other person to fully pay, then that’s where tensions can arise. So just keep that in mind and be a good person.