Dating can be a nerve-wracking experience for many people. After all, you can meet your future spouse. It can also be a very vulnerable experience. The whole point of dating (usually) is to get to know someone else on an intimate level, or at least begin this process. Regardless of reason, and there are many, most of them would make a good first impression. At the very least, most want to avoid rejection. Dating is a prime opportunity for this in its nature. Whether you're looking for a fun night out or a long-term development, rejection can happen regardless, and it can be difficult to handle. Self-doubt can come in many forms, from questioning one's intelligence to one's looks to one's ability to tell a good joke. Dating puts everything out there.
How can you increase your confidence when it comes to dating? There are some things you can do, and some methods are more suitable for some people than others.
First things first
A date is just a date. It is not the rest of his life. Yes, you can meet your future spouse, but this is far beyond the scope of date. At this point, no matter how desperate you may be feeling to finally settle down, focus only on the date. Puts more pressure on it makes it harder for both of you. The other person will probably sense your "desperation" (for lack of a better word), and you end up adding way to much pressure on yourself. Instead try to focus on the actual date, not how it may or may not lead. Enjoy your time together, or, if you do not, try not to blame yourself and go into the litany of self-talk that tries to convince you that you are not worth dating, you'll never find someone, and you ' ll be single for the rest of my life.
Be Yourself
Yes, you've heard it many times before, and there is a reason for it. If you hit it off with the other person, it is best that this happens when you be true to yourself. If you are "fake" it, when you met with coming forward and facing humiliation, rejection, or both, or continuing the facade. This takes a lot of work, it is dishonest, and you can not hold it for very long anyway. So regardless of fault, try not to hide them too much. This does not mean you put them out on the table on the first date, but it also means that you do not go to extreme measures to try to hide them or pretend to be something or someone you do not.
Get Out of Yourself
To help deal with uncertainties about yourself, try to focus on the other person. Show a genuine interest in what he or she has to say. Be honest and courteous in your responses. Let the other person have the spotlight. Do not just keep this helps you focus on the uncertainty, it helps also perform what dates are meant to do - get to know someone better. Ask questions, listen to the answers and ask more. Talk about common interests when you find them. Above all, try not to talk about yourself all the time or worry too much about how you look, what you say, and what kind of impression you make.
Try something else
If the thought of sitting through a quiet dinner with someone you barely know makes you break out in a sweat, consider dating activities that involve a little more involvement. Take a walk through a garden, go rollerblading, or doing any other activity that keeps you moving. If you have something to do, you can focus less on feeling awkward and more on the conversation. It helps to keep the mood light as well, which can make you both feel more comfortable and safe.
