Date night. The two words can bring about a range of emotions: you could feel completely nervous, anxious, excited, or maybe all of the above. Maybe you’re worried about what you’re going to wear or how everything will go— that’s totally normal! The biggest tip to combat the nerves is to do what makes you most comfortable and what is most yourself. The more you feel at ease with yourself, the more natural you will be with your date! But besides having a good time, date night is a lot about getting to know each other. To help with the nerves, here are some conversation tips for a date.
While you’re there, go with the flow and pick up on possible topics that might come up and that you could talk more about. Conversation is equal parts listening and also chipping in your ideas and opinions to share more about yourself with the other person. If you already know a little about them, maybe consider coming up with some things you want to talk about before the date.
Be aware of their body language. If they nod along to what you’re saying as an affirmation, try doing the same. It’s been shown that reciprocating similar body language as another person causes them to feel more comfortable and valued by the person listening to them. Likewise, if you feel that something is causing you or your date to feel less comfortable, be sure to let them know or ask some check-in questions. Communication is key!
Remember that you don’t always have to be 100% agreeable, though—you should definitely be respectful and polite but you don’t need to agree with your date’s every word to the point where your own personality can’t shine through. The most important thing is to be engaged and genuinely interested in hearing what your date has to say. This will likely spark the same interest in them, and you’ll both be more likely to have some meaningful conversation and a wonderful date!