Dating anxiety can often seem like an insurmountable obstacle. If you spend the entirety of a date feeling nervous and afraid, you are highly unlikely to enjoy yourself, or to give your special someone a good time. However, if you suffer from social dating anxiety, here are some suggestions you can try. Pick the ones that sound best for you and your date.
• Stick with the tried and true. People often feel less acute dating anxiety when they have an established template to follow. This means dinner, dancing, and movies, basically. The third choice might be a good option for people who feel particularly tongue-tied during dates, since talking in the cinema is strongly discouraged. The most critical decision, then, is the actual movie you will be watching. Once this choice is out of the way, you can relax.
• Maintain eye contact. This is often difficult for people who suffer from dating anxiety. Shyness tempts them into looking at the floor, the wall, or at other parts of the date’s body. Though these indirect gazes might make you feel less nervous, they send a negative message to your date. You look as if you are not paying attention to him/her, or are only interested in him/her physically, rather than as a prospect for a serious relationship.
• If you want a “spicier” date, do not go overboard with the excitement. In other words, theme parks are fine, but perhaps you should save the skydiving or bungee jumping for a future outing. If your date is the type of person who insists upon a high level of excitement all the time, their company is likely to aggravate your anxiety about dating.
• Do make a list planning what you will do on the outing. Many people claim they want a “spontaneous” partner—until every date turns into a train wreck from lack of preparation. Again, having a detailed plan to stick to can make being nervous about dating more manageable.
