Practically everyone has gone through the stage where you finally get a date, and just wonder what to do to avoid screwing your date. You find it difficult to stop shaking and being nervous as you wait to meet your date. While a part of you looks for a checklist to follow to ensure your meeting goes on perfectly, another part insists that dating without errors is practically impossible.

So to help you stop shaking and feel nervous about your date, here are some dating tips and advice worth knowing and implementing! 

Be prepared for your date

The first point to remember is to be always prepared for your date. This means you should know where you will be going with your date, and what you plan to do with your partner. Of course, you should also be well prepared in terms of essentials like having your wallet ready and also know something about your partner’s interests.

Don’t expect too much, or too little from someone. So this implies that you should not only look only for good-looking people for dates or settle for ‘easy’ people. In case a date doesn’t work out, don’t worry about it. Just move on with life; you’re sure to find someone else who’s much better and interesting for you.

Be yourself

Similarly, you have to always be yourself while dating. Of course, it’s permissible to look more presentable than normal just to impress your date. However don’t try changing your personality completely as this would be being dishonest to your date. Remember for a dating experience to mature and succeed in life, you have to build trust between yourselves.

Never overdress for a date, and avoid high heels if you are not really comfortable in it. This is because though your date would be for a movie and dinner, there may be a change of plans where your date may include a walk somewhere.

So don’t overdress yourself, but don’t be too simple too. Just wear something that’s a bit more special than your normal attire, but also comfortable for you.

Don’t overdo your hair or dressing

If you need to cut your hair to look good, don’t delay in going to the barber or salon for a new hairstyle. If you have the time, you can create an even better impression with your date if you have a facial to clean your face, along with a manicure and pedicure.

However at the same time, don’t overdo your hair. It’s not at all advisable to wear a new hair style on your first few dates as it only makes you feel uncomfortable, and eventually, self-conscious. Instead, leave your hair natural and easy to handle as it makes you feel more relaxed instead of you spending time wondering if your hair looks right or not.

Build your self-confidence

Always be well mannered and considerate towards your date’s feelings at all times. Avoid talking about sensitive topics and work at having the best time while dating.

You need confidence to succeed at dating as low-esteem levels will not help at attracting anyone. So before you go for a date, make sure you are sure of your looks, and personality as confidence is essential for effectively impressing your date.

Revamp your wardrobe to find the best clothes that make you look the best on your date. Look for clothes that are not only attractive on you, but is also something you are comfortable in.

You can build your confidence by letting go of any negative feelings you have about yourself, especially about things you have no control on. Learn to appreciate all the good things about yourself as once you learn to like yourself, you automatically become more confident about yourself. Sometimes, you may have to fake your confidence at first by copying the habits of people around you. While eye contact can be challenging to you, keep practicing on it and soon you will be comfortable with it.

Be committed to the date

To succeed in dating, you have to first be prepared and committed to the date. You will never have a successful date with half-baked feelings; so put in extra efforts when you are out with someone.

Another dating tip worth remembering is to have a goal and time frame to achieve the goal. This means that if you are going dating to look for your future spouse to settle down within a few years’ time, you definitely have to view dating seriously.

However if you are going dating only to have friends and some fun with people of the opposite sex, take your time and avoid any serious commitment offers. It will be fair for both of you if you let your date know your intentions so that he/she doesn’t get false dreams and notions, and knows how to act when you are both together.

Enjoy yourself during the date

Enjoy the time you spend with your date. Take time to get to know them better and deeper, but don’t rush in revealing your personal details to them. It’s better to leave some mystery about you as it makes you look, interesting and exciting to your date. Revealing too much of yourself only leads to a fading in the excitement of dating.

Think of a conversation topic for your date so that you won’t get bored during the date. The best topics are simple subjects like hobbies, movies, books and current events. So keep yourself updated on current events as it’s the best way to break the ice with anyone. This is the best topic to recover when a conversation goes boring, and to find out more about your date’s interests.

Though all this advice may seem to be simple, in actuality, not many people actually follow them. They end up making common errors, and fail with their date. Keep these dating tips in mind before and during your date, and you are assured a successful date.

Feature Writer: Aarti Narang