How To Get Ready For Your First Date And Enjoy It No Matter What

First dates can be scary, especially for people who worry a lot. Therefore, these are some great ideas you can use to relax and have fun with your first date because enjoying yourself is the most important thing.

A first date is a meeting with a potential romantic partner for the first outing to start the dating process as you get to know them.

Now, as a girl who stresses a lot, here are some helpful tips I recommend with interesting research to back it up and they're in no particular order.

10 Tips for how to get ready for your first date and enjoy it:

1. Get your outfit prepared early

Sometimes when I go out, I might leave choosing the outfit to the last minute and end up sitting in front of my wardrobe stressing about what to wear for so long and not doing anything. Don't do that because it'll make it worse. 

So, you should plan your outfit early. I recommend preparing it the day before or at least a few hours before. This will make you feel prepared and if there are any problems, you can solve them early. For instance, if there's a hole in your favourite top, you have time to find a backup. 

Secondly, wear what makes you feel comfortable - casual but not too casual. While some people might buy a new outfit as a good way to make themselves feel fresh and confident, I personally wouldn't as I want to be comfortable in the clothes I have.

2. Focus on being yourself

One of the most important things I think you should remember is to be yourself. If you're not you, how will they be able to get to know you and find out if you're a good match? Thus, be honest and yourself and you'll have a fun time.

Indeed, I find it difficult to make conversation with people if they aren't being themselves. Don't try to impress too hard or imitate someone because it won't help you be happy or truly find someone you match with.

3. Listen to music to energise yourself

A study by Tia DeNora shows that people have effectively used music before going out to get in the mood and reduce stress as the musical properties and energy transfer onto yourself. As a result, you can listen to upbeat music or your favourite songs to get energy and forget about your worries. It'll loosen you up and help you get ready for a good time. 

4. Let loose and go with the flow but be respective

Though it may be hard, try to relax and get ready to be engaged in the conversation. To calm myself down, I take deep breaths, maybe five - breathe in for four seconds, hold for four and breath out for four.

Be open and open-minded but be careful not to go too deep into unsuitable topics or complain about things. As many say: respect personal boundaries. People have found that it might be too much information on the first date going into things like future relationship goals. So, take it easy and slow with a pace you're both comfortable with. The flow could lead to some of the things below.

What to expect of the first date:

The first date would often be casual and not have much personal touching. However, I think it's okay to give a friendly hug. You shouldn't feel pressured to hug or kiss though.

A kiss on the first date is okay as it may happen but it depends and is different for everyone as some people might get closer or the date might not go well. I feel like men often initiate the kiss by leaning forward but they shouldn't go all the way - let the woman meet his lips to show that she accepts it in case she doesn't want to. 

Despite this, anyone can initiate the first kiss. And to show that you want to try kissing, be open in your body language and hint it such as touching their arm gently or lingering and waiting. If you don't want to kiss, make sure you are clear.

Importantly, you should not expect to sleep together on the first date. A Groupon study found that men think sex is appropriate at least after date five but women prefer after date nine and I agree with the women. 

5. Make sure you're presentable (or consistent)

Similar to before, make sure you are ready and presentable. This doesn't mean try to impress them with a crazily formal outfit but rather, look decent to show that you're interested. In other words, you're trying but not too hard. People say that they do their normal (make-up) routine to look like they do every day and I think this is good.

As many people do: you should shower, brush your teeth, do your hair and put on make-up or shave if you want. But people suggest not putting on too much perfume/cologne as it can be a bit overwhelming but you can have a bit to smell good.

Some say that it takes roughly an hour to an hour and a half if they're showering. I also take a long time to get ready so knowing how long I will take, I set myself a good amount of time. But, it's different for everyone and there is no expected time - it can be as short or long as you like. Don't feel pressured to be slow or fast, wear make-up or certain clothes - do what feels like you.

Ultimately, I think if you don't smell good, you're a bit dirty or your outfit is messy (such as old, tracksuit pants), the other person might feel like you don't want to be there. Therefore, you should put some effort into being presentable.

In addition, you should be honest with the look in your profile picture if you met through a dating app. So the picture of yourself you post should be yourself naturally so when you meet, they won't be surprised by a different person or look.

6. Be early and prepared for the date

As my grandfather always says, "being early is being on time" or "being 10 minutes early is being on time". Henceforth, you should always be a few minutes early for your date or even other occasions. This makes you organised and gives a good first impression.

Additionally, it allows time for accidents or things you didn't expect such as traffic, you lost your key or you can't find parking. It's a good mindset I've acquired to ensure that you won't worry about being late on top of other stress you might feel.

Next, being prepared involves bringing enough money to cover everything because you never know what might happen. I think it's good to offer to pay for half or all as it shows polite manners. But it's okay if they want to pay or if you split it.

7. Maybe prepare questions or answers to potential questions

This one could lead to more stress and is totally optional but you might be the type of person like me who wants to be over-prepared for anything. So, start with preparing some questions you can ask them.

Good questions you can ask on first dates:

• How are you?
• What did you do yesterday? or What did you do on the weekend?
• What are your hobbies?
• What would you do on your ideal day?
• What do you like about your job?
• Do you have pets or lots of family members?
• What's something that you want to learn?
• Do you have any pet peeves?
• Do you have a fun fact about yourself?
• Where do you want to travel to?
• What is your favourite place?
• What is your favourite food?
• What are you obsessed with lately?

8. Get ready to engage in conversation (and maybe make jokes)

Remember: it's not an interview! There's no right or wrong. Don't get too focused on questions or it might not sound natural. So, keep the conversation flowing and listen to them. It's also great to get them talking about things they like so bounce off what they say. For example, if they say "I played the violin yesterday with friends and it was fun", you can ask "How long have you been playing the violin?"

I think it's nice to hear them talk about things they're passionate about because you see their true smile, they open up and relax and the atmosphere is more comfortable for everyone.

Furthermore, research study shows that jokes and pick-up lines weren't rated highly while women preferred interesting topics with actual intellectual or cultural content. Therefore, try and engage in normal conversations like if you were talking with a friend and not trying to impress someone. 

However, other people have suggested making jokes and complimenting the other person. I think it all depends on you - if you're the type who likes humour, don't be scared to show that. Be authentic. It can also help the conversation to start with something light and to break the ice but to move the date along, many people like me suggest talking about topics like hobbies, favourite movies, food or travels.

9. Don't stress or worry about what could go wrong

Try not to stress or worry about what might go wrong because it's a negative mindset that won't let you enjoy yourself. Of course, things might not go well as not everything in life goes smoothly but why think about them? It's normal to go through many dates and you might not find the right one straight away. That's okay. There will always be more opportunities. 

As people have said, it can be a learning experience to see what you like or don't like in a partner. Thus I hope you'll focus on the bright side of things. Many emphasise that the first date is not something to put pressure on.

10. Be confident and have fun

In conclusion, be confident, be you and remember to have fun. It's a day to enjoy yourself going out. When I don't stress, I find that getting ready and even just the thought of meeting someone new to hang out with gets me excited. Instead of putting yourself down, hype yourself up such as a catwalk or talking with your friends as some people suggest. 

The most important thing is to have fun and enjoy the moment. It's a great opportunity that could possibly lead to great things.