Online Dating: First Date Do's And Don't's

Any first date can be extremely tense and stressful whether it's a

date that you've set up online or offline. Many times you'll act

too shy or insecure to even be considered for that second date.

This can be devastating at the best of times but even more so if

you were really hoping for that second date with someone you

liked. There are some things that you can do to make sure that

you leave a good impression and get a second chance.



Make your date feel as comfortable as possible. Relax and

realize that you're just there to have a good time so there should

be no pressure to be overly cute or funny. The most important

that you can remember is to be yourself. Be as interesting as you

can without coming across as overbearing. The worse thing that

you can do is sit there with nothing to say or add to the

conversation. Be a good listener and make sure that you ask your

date questions so that you learn more about them and so that they

know you are interested and paying attention.



If your date has a sense of humor, try to laugh at some of their

jokes. Hopefully they won't bore you with too many jokes but

keep in mind that if they do it could be a sign of their

nervousness. Try to keep the conversation going at all times

since long moments of silence can be awkward and leave your

date wondering if you'd rather not be there. Have a list of

questions in your head that you can pull out when there is too

much silence. The more interest that you show in the date the

more fun you'll have and the more chance there will be for future

dates.



Try to plan your date around something fun. A first date doesn't

need to revolve around the movies or dinner. If you and your

date are both interested in the arts you might want to suggest a

trip to the art gallery. This will be a good ice breaker for the two

of you and can let you both relax in an environment that you

enjoy. Be confident in your ability to have a good time while

being yourself. If you have to pretend that you're someone you're

not there will be little point to the first date or any other dates.

First dates don't have to be intimidating and stressful if you take

some time to plan for them and go prepared.