So the first date went swimmingly; the conversation flowed, the chemistry was tangible and you could sense the beginnings of a real connection. You left feeling fantastic and now you’ve got yourself a second date! But how do you keep the momentum going and ensure equal success the next time round? Keep calm, play it cool, and follow our invaluable advice!
1. Plan Something Low Key
First dates are often high on the romance factor; you dress to impress, pick a swanky restaurant and turn the charm up to the max. The focus is entirely on talking about each other, which can be high pressure. Trying to maintain this can be hard on the wallet and a strain on conversation, not to mention setting a dangerous precedent for future expectations!
Why not do something more casual? Go out for pizza or catch a movie, then go for a stroll in the park. Wear your normal clothes and be yourself; if you feel comfortable, the conversation will flow all by itself.
2. Use your Memory
Showing you paid attention the first time round is a great way of avoiding the dreaded second-date-slump. Remembering the smallest detail about that person is touching and thoughtful – it will relax the mood and open up further topics for discussion.
Anticipate any potential awkward break in conversation, fill it with a question incorporating a clever first date recollection, and you’re sure to be greeted with a smile.
3. Be the Same Person
It’s easy to overanalyse a first date and start to wonder what you could’ve done better or ponder over something you said. Nerves and anticipation can really affect your behaviour, so just remember they’ve agreed to a second date for a reason! Acting like a totally different person won’t help you to find that same connection.
Equally, trying to ‘play it cool’ can just make you look disinterested. Be relaxed, be yourself and you’ll cruise into a third date!
4. Keep Your Expectations in Check
Even if you left your first date with more butterflies than when you arrived, it’s always important not to get carried away. You felt a great bond, but it’s possible they could be an entirely different person the second time round. You are still getting to know them, after all, and maybe that chemistry you felt was down to sheer excitement, or all the wine you drunk to shelve the first date nerves!
So don’t rush into your second date thinking ‘this could be the one’, and hopefully you’ll leave feeling just as elated as the first time.
Sometimes a first date can seem like a piece of cake compared to the second time round. Dating is full of nerves and anticipation, highs and lows, joy and despair; and that’s what makes it so thoroughly enjoyable! Free dating online is a great way to meet likeminded people and embark on your very own emotional dating rollercoaster.
Photo Credit: Bailey Weaver