How To Overcome Dating Anxiety? Five Tips You Can Use On Your Next Date

Meeting new people can be a hard task if you have limited social interactions. You may feel anxious, worry about each step and overthink before speaking anything. If you already have an anxiety disorder, then going on a date with a new person can fuel it up.

However, you can tackle your dating anxiety by keeping yourself calm and composed. If you still fear that you might end up doing something wrong, then follow these simple tips.

1. Talk over the phone before meeting
   If you have just conversed with the partner over texts, then first talk over the phone before meeting them. This will allow you to become familiar with their voice, their accent, their way of talking, and will build a sense of familiarity. Keep it simple but straightforward. If you feel good and comfortable on the phone, it would help in relaxing your nervousness during the in-person meeting.
2. Involve in a self-talk
   We are our best motivators. In case you are feeling nervous and anxious, then take a deep breath and talk to yourself about the things which might be bothering you. Tell yourself that you are excited, and relax. It will bring some strength and positivity inside you.
3. Choose your comfort zone
   If we have familiar things with our date, we tend to feel calmer and relaxed. So, if you are going on your first date with the person, then choose things which you are familiar with. Wear an outfit in which you feel confident, pick the restaurant where you often visit, order a dish which you like, and so on. Having familiar things around you will make you feel less anxious.
4. Be yourself
   It may sound a little cliché but this is the best advice you can follow at any time in your life. When you meet someone new, you don’t have to pretend to be perfect or someone you are not. Just be yourself. Talk honestly and let the conversation flow. When you think before saying anything, your brain makes you anxious but a free flow of communication helps you relax.
5. Make eye contact
   It may feel weird at first, but if you’ll talk while looking at them, you will eventually feel familiar and relaxed. Instead of looking right or left or at your hands, look at the person sitting in front of you. It will subconsciously make you feel confident.