{"id":5501,"date":"2014-07-16T14:14:51","date_gmt":"2014-07-16T21:14:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/about.zoosk.com\/en\/?p=5501"},"modified":"2021-06-01T00:24:14","modified_gmt":"2021-06-01T07:24:14","slug":"banish-your-first-date-jitters","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.zoosk.com\/date-mix\/dating-statistics-and-research\/banish-your-first-date-jitters\/","title":{"rendered":"Banish Your First Date Jitters"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

First date jitters can include anything from annoying palm sweat to terrifying anxiety. James Preece<\/a>, UK\u2019s leading dating expert and dating coach, is well-versed in first date anxiety. \u201cMany of my clients are worried about rejection or embarrassing themselves on their date,\u201d he says. \u201cFor some people, dating can be a really scary experience.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To help you relax and have more fun on your dates, we\u2019ve partnered with the dating expert to deliver these quick tips to banish your dating anxiety:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1)<\/strong> Make a Mental Movie.<\/strong> Rather than focus on what might go wrong, envision your date running smoothly from start to finish. Picture you and your date laughing, flirting, and having fun. Imagining a successful end to your evening will help you get through the beginning of the date when things are more stressful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2) Prepare Your Questions.<\/strong> If you\u2019re concerned about awkward silence, think of a few questions that lead to longer conversations. Starting questions with ‘what’ or ‘how’ will help you establish some conversation momentum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3) Cheer up<\/strong>. Those negative feelings can have a snowball effect. Get yourself to a happy place by tricking your brain. To do this, look into a mirror and hold your biggest smile for at least two minutes. If this isn\u2019t working, place a pen between your teeth. Smiling releases serotonin, a chemical that helps improve your mood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4) Have a Dress Rehearsal. <\/strong>Do you know what to wear? How will you get to the date location? Taking care of these decisions will help you stay relaxed when you\u2019re feeling extra tense. Pick an outfit that makes you feel amazing. Check out the location in advance, so you won\u2019t worry about running late. Do everything you can to minimize surprises.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

5) Modify Your Expectations.<\/strong> Those lofty romantic expectations are doing more harm than good. Instead of planning the wedding before ordering your entr\u00e9e, relax and enjoy the process of getting to know each other. Give yourself and your date time to build some real chemistry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

James Preece is UK\u2019s very own dating guru. You can find his website at www.jamespreece.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

UK\u2019s leading dating expert gives you some quick tips on getting rid of your first date anxiety. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":37,"featured_media":12001,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[900],"tags":[764,794,771,760,589],"class_list":["post-5501","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-dating-statistics-and-research","tag-expert","tag-firstdate","tag-gay","tag-men","tag-women"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nBanish Your First Date Jitters<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Relax and have more fun on your dates! 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We've found a dating expert to show you some quick tips on how you can get rid of the first date jitters.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.zoosk.com\/date-mix\/dating-statistics-and-research\/banish-your-first-date-jitters\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"The Date Mix\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Zoosk\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2014-07-16T21:14:51+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2021-06-01T07:24:14+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/dq1eylutsoz4u.cloudfront.net\/2014\/07\/17201916\/dating-advice-to-calm-you-date-jitters.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"800\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"600\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Joan Actually\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@Zoosk\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@Zoosk\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Joan Actually\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"2 minutes\" \/>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Banish Your First Date Jitters","description":"Relax and have more fun on your dates! 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