You’ve said goodnight, parted ways and now you’re left alone with your thoughts to mull over how the first date went. Those initial hours and days after a date can be agonising, as you wonder how they feel, and if they’re going to get in touch. But if you want to secure a second date, it’s essential that you keep calm and play your cards right in the days following your first encounter.
To keep it simple, here are 3 basic rules that everyone should follow post-first date:
1. Don’t Text Immediately
It doesn’t matter if you’re the man or the woman, don’t text immediately after the first date. You may have had an amazing time, and already spoken about meeting again, but stay cool. Especially if you’ve had a few drinks, you might end up sending a cringe-worthy text that you regret the next morning.
However, after the first night the rules are a little more ambiguous when it comes to getting in touch. Traditionally, the guy should contact the girl, but not everyone agrees that this should be the case.
If you felt the date went well, wait at least 24 hours and then consider sending a short and sweet message telling them you had a great time. That leaves the ball in their court – if they do want to meet up again, they’re bound to reply with a hint at a second date.
2. Stay Away From Social Media
Social media can be a real romance-killer in the dating world, so resist the urge to tweet or update your Facebook status with a review of your night. You never know if they might sneak a look at your profile. Limit the updates to your closest friends who are genuinely interested in your love life.
Whilst we’re on the topic of social media, don’t add him or her as a friend on Facebook either… Until things become more serious, wouldn’t you rather keep your embarrassing photos of nights out, idle thoughts, and conversations with friends to yourself? Thought so. Besides, you don’t want your date to think that you’re stalking them.
3. Be Accessible
It’s very easy to get the wrong message when communicating over your online dating account or via text, so send the right signals if your date contacts you first. Although you don’t want to reply immediately to their message, don’t leave them hanging for too long either. If possible, keep your schedule relatively free so that if a second date is suggested, arranging it isn’t unnecessarily complicated.
Ultimately, the date doesn’t end when you and your partner say goodbye. At this crucial first stage of getting to know someone, it’s easy change how you feel. So follow these simple post-date rules to improve your chances of success, and you’ll be on a second date before you know it!
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Photo Credit: Blondinrikard Fröberg