Getting Back into Dating Without The Nerves
Getting Back into Dating Without The Nerves. Dating can be a pretty nerve-wracking experience. Dating with anxiety can be a whole other kettle of fish. However, it doesn’t necessarily need to be quite so tough. There are ways to take the nerves out of the dating game, at least a little. Here, we’re going to look at ways you can better get yourself out there if you’ve had trouble with nerves when dating in the past.
Projection is your friend
Fake it til you make it, as they say. It can be hard to ignore the niggling side of your brain that’s telling you how bad everything is going, but if you can project a positive and confident persona, then you can convince your brain of the same. This doesn’t mean that you have to constantly act out a positive experience. Rather, slow it down, and take the time to notice and appreciate positive things.
A little prep doesn’t hurt
One of the most nerve-wracking things is when you sit down and realize that you don’t have anything to say. It’s a good idea to have some conversation starters in mind, from asking about your date, their work, and their experiences to having a jumping-off point to talk about any shared hobbies or pastimes. Favourite albums, films or shows you’ve been watching, places that you would like to see. These are all-natural conversation starters and if you feel like you’re not getting a response to any of those, it’s probably not you that’s the issue at that point.
Date faster
Sometimes, the act of committing that much time to an encounter that may or may not go well can feel like a big and worrisome commitment. To that end, who says you need to spend all your time on just one person? Speed dating can be a fun way to spend an evening and to meet a lot of people. There’s a lot less pressure when you know that you don’t need to spend too much time with any one person. If you do get a date out of it, you already have a little rapport to build off, too.
Make it a doubles thing (or a group thing)
When it’s one on one, sometimes it feels like the pressure is on you to keep the day or evening engaging the whole way. However, that doesn’t have to be the case if you’re willing to go on a double or a group date. When there’s a more open conversation, it can be easier to find out if you have chemistry without feeling like you’re constantly on the spot.
Have an escape plan
Sometimes, a date might just be a little too nerve-wracking and tough to handle and, when that happens, the worst thing can be to make yourself sit through it. It’s always a good idea to have a friend know that you’re going on a date and that you might need a pickup if you’re feeling overwhelmed or even threatened.
Of course, you might still feel a twinge of nervousness when you’re tentatively feeling a connection but so long as you’re able to comfortably keep going, that’s what’s important. Hopefully, the tips above help you do just that.
