The longer you date, the more likely you are to have a bad dating experience. Even if you’ve hand-selected the person on the Internet, taken the time to get to know them, and actually talked to them on the phone, nothing compares to the actual experience of the date. So, what do you do if things aren’t going exactly as you planned?

First of all, the first date can be an intense experience. Whether you admit to it or not, you’re trying to impress the other person, trying to show off and trying to be more than you actually are – and that can be a recipe for disaster. You’re both nervous, you both are saying things that you wish you could take back…is there anything that you can do?

If your date is rude or disrespectful, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t end your date immediately. You don’t need to deal with anyone that’s not being at least courteous to you. Simply get up from the table, thank them for their time, pay your part of the bill, and leave. It might seem rude, but if you’re both having a bad time, why not cut your losses and run?

If you get the sense that your date is just nervous, you might want to stick it out for a while and try another date when you’re both a little used to each other. There can be a world of difference between those two meetings.

However, if you just get a hunch about someone, you might want to end the date. Intuition is a powerful mental ability that can alert you to someone who may be dangerous – always trust your gut. It’s worth having to pay for your meal and call a cab to race home.

Dating Essentials Bad, First Dates, Impress, Nerves, Online Safety, Rejection

With all of the dating tips out there, you might still have questions that have gone unanswered.

For example, what should I wear?

This sounds rather idiotic, but you want to make the right impression, but not too sexy of an impression, yet you don’t want to look to casual, etc.

And all of that adds up to ‘Oh No.’

Instead of worrying about running to the nearest department store before you meet your date, why not open up your closet door and start thinking about these two questions when you’re choosing your outfit:

• Where are you going? If you’re headed out for a hiking trip or a walk in the park, jeans will probably be just fine. Think about whether you might get messy and think more casual for those kinds of dates.
• What are you doing? If you’re planning on meeting up at the gym, you don’t have to wear a dress or a suit.

The point is that jeans can look nice and attractive, but you don’t want to choose the most beat up pair that you own. Try to think business casual, without the business factor.

Women, you want to try to wear clothes that are attractive, but not too revealing. While you might like to wear something low cut, realize that you want your date to remember more than your outfit at the end of the night. Think nice pants or a light sweater or casual shirt.

If you like to wear skirts, go right ahead. If the date seems to call for it, why not dress up a little? The point is that you don’t need to go all out in order to impress someone, but you do want to make sure that you’re wearing something clean, non-wrinkled, and matching so that you’re showing them that you do want to make a good impression.

That’s really all that matters.

Dating Essentials Clothes, Fashion, First Impressions, Outfits, Sexy

There’s nothing like a first date to make you neurotic.

Not only are you worried about what you’re going to wear, but you’re also trying to figure out what you want to talk about with your date. You don’t want to look stupid, but you also don’t want to look shallow or arrogant about your life.

Breathe.

First things first, if you’re already a shy person, you’re nervous enough about talking, so why make it any worse with trying to put all of the pressure on yourself to keep the conversation rolling. Instead, start asking your date about their life and what they think of things. Ask about anything so long as you ask open ended questions.

(That means that the questions require more than a yes or a no)

Once you get your date talking about something, ask them to go into more detail, ask about how it made them feel, etc.

Before you know it, you’ll have a date that thinks that you’re the best listener in the world as well as someone who’s genuinely interested in them. Because you are.

It’s really not what you’re talking about with your date, but rather what they’re telling you about themselves.

You can always talk more on the SECOND date.

Dating Essentials Conversation Topics, First Dates, Listen, Nerves, Shyness