Friday, May 31, 2013

Everyone is doing it… Online Dating: The Do’s and Dont’s


If you are one of the fish swimming in the dating pool you have likely tried or thought about trying online dating websites to potentially meet a match. A decade ago online dating was nearly unheard of, while in this day and age, practically “everyone is doing it”. If you are single and trying to meet someone new and are thinking about trying (or are already using) an online dating website we have a few tips to think about.

Do’s
-Be you! It’s easy to get anxious when meeting someone new, so try a quick relaxation exercise like deep breathing prior to a date.
-If you choose to drink alcohol, allow yourself a limit to maintain your best judgment
-Meet in a public space and keep it simple…coffee shop, restaurant, book shop
-Trust your gut, it’s usually right on
-Practice common sense
-Keep an open mind, you never know! Do you have a “type”? Get out of that comfort zone and meet someone different
-Talk on the phone before meeting to get a feel for the person
-Even if the first date is a bust, try to find something you like about each person you meet
-Relax! Have fun!

Don’ts
-Reveal too much private information before knowing someone (how much is too much? If you wouldn’t want to put it out on social media sites, think before you share). If it is someone you’d like to get to know more, things will unfold naturally.
-Post revealing photographs
-Become too involved back and forth before meeting; yes you want to know who you are going to meet, however at the same time you want to manage your expectations since a false sense of intimacy can be created prior to real personal interaction has occurred.