Let’s be honest, first dates are like the world’s most awkward job interview. You stutter, you stumble, you say stupid things¦but in reality that is all to be expected. Everyone has been there and everything will usually be excused if you make it to round two. Getting there, however, is a lot easier without making some of the most common (and most disastrous) first date mistakes that so many of us do.
We laid out our top five DO NOT’s for all the world to see. Read and learn…
1. Running late
There is nothing that gives off a worse first impression than leaving your date hanging around alone for 15 minutes because you are running late. First dates are awkward and nerve-wrecking enough, don’t make this poor person suffer longer than they have to. How do you avoid it? Easy. First, put your date in your phone as starting 15 minutes earlier that it actually is. And then set two alarms for 30 minutes and 15 minutes before you have to leave the house. This will kick you into high gear if you are running behind. And prep ahead, lay out your date night outfit the night before,as well as a backup outfit in case you decide you hate the first choice when date time rolls around.
2. Overloading on scents
Have you ever been in a room when that one person steps in and completely enveloped the entire area in a scent so strong that you felt like you could actually taste it? That’s what it’s like to be on a date with someone who is wearing too much and/or too many scents. How to solve this problem? Minimal is key. Skip the scented lotions and potions and use unscented varieties before you spritz on your scent. Not only will these keep you from having too many smells going on, but the oils in the lotions will help the scent of your perfume or cologne last longer.
3. Talking about your ex
There is nothing, we repeat, nothing, more annoying than sitting down and listening to someone ramble on about their loser ex all night. Whether it is dinner with your bestie or the first date with the handsome guy from accounting, no one needs to hear it. He was a jerk. Build a bridge and get over it. Otherwise, you shouldn’t be dating in the first place. How to avoid it? Make sure you have a list of backup convo starters that you can refer to in case the conversation starts to veer towards past relationships.
4. Talking too much
And on the topic of talking¦which is something you definitely want to do on a first date (awkward silences anyone?), but there is also such a thing as talking TOO much. Whether or not your date is a quiet person, you never want to babble on and on and on about yourself on a first date. It gives off the wrong impression all together and will never end well. How to avoid it? Make sure you have a stash of questions in the back of your mind to ask your date if you start to feel like you are holding the convo on your own.
5. Getting drunk
A little something to sip on to ease the first date jitters? Sure, go ahead. An entire bottle of vino that ends with you slurring your words and falling down stairs? Maybe not the best idea. How to save yourself? Know your limit. If you know that one glass of wine is going to get you tipsy, then don’t drink three. Better yet, if you are a cheap drunk, avoid the booze all together.
