So, your date didn’t end in a new relationship. In fact, it started out looking promising, but you came home disappointed. Everyone finds themselves on a bad date every once in a while. Some comedians even made a career out of them!
Bad dates are an inevitable part of dating. But that doesn’t mean it will always turn out this way or that you are bad at dating. Check out these great ways to move on from a bad first date and get yourself back out there!
1. Keep in mind the statistics
Out of all the dates you go on, some have to be bad. Literally everyone who goes on dates will occasionally end up on a bad one. Maybe the date wasn’t enjoyable because the two of you just aren’t compatible, and that’s normal! You can’t instantly click with every person you meet. And when you think about it, first dates are usually just a few hours with a person you may not know that well. Perhaps they just weren’t in the mood that day.
But if you continuously find yourself on bad dates, it might be time to reflect why that may be. Maybe you have been choosing people who aren’t right for you. Is it possible you’ve been subconsciously sabotaging your first dates because you’re afraid to get into a new relationship?
2. Don’t blame yourself
Even if you have an amazing list of what not to do on a first date and you’ve checked out every box and it still didn’t go well, don’t beat yourself up! Chances are, it had nothing to do with you (and maybe not with the other person either). Some people just don’t click. It’s possible the timing isn’t right. Maybe your date hasn’t moved on from a past relationship.
Whatever the case may be, look on the bright side: If things didn’t work out on the first date, how on earth would that new relationship work? When you’re not meant to be with someone, it’s better to find out sooner rather than later.
3. Ask for a second first date
Maybe the date didn’t go the way you planned, but you still like this person. Make the first move once again and ask for another try! Don’t hide the fact that the first time was a bit awkward. Make it sound funny and say that you can do better than that.
If your date says yes to a second first date, try mixing it up with a new idea and location! If you went to dinner the first time around, now would be a great time to try a different date idea. Just try to relax and not put too much pressure on the date. They said yes to going out again, so your date is already off to a good start!
4. Give them another chance
Maybe you won’t even have to ask for a second chance because they’ll ask first. Woohoo! If you’re debating whether you should say yes, don’t overthink it. There’s probably a simple explanation for why the date seemed bad last time. Perhaps you didn’t really get the chance to talk and connect, so this will be a great time to get to know them better. Maybe they’ve been having financial difficulties, so that’s why they wanted to split the bill. Whatever it was, give them a second chance to make a good first impression.
5. Laugh about it
If you talk to your friends about your date, you’ll notice that bad dates are often more funny than bad. When you put yourself out there, you’re bound to get into awkward situations with all kinds of people. Instead of stressing out about it or letting it get to you, use your sense of humor. Think about how you’ll talk about this date five years from now. You’ll probably share a good laugh with your partner, so why not start laughing about it now?
6. Let your friends cheer you up
Call your squad for an emergency get-together and let them lighten the mood. You can talk about the experience and they’ll surely tell you about bad dates they’ve had. Plus, they might help you look at things from a new perspective. Maybe one of them has a friend they could set you up with so that you can go on a proper date right away!
7. Learn from it
Reflect on what really happened and try to pinpoint what exactly was bad about the date. Did you arrive in a bad mood or was your date stressed out about work? These problems might be easily fixed with a relaxing pre-date routine or trying to schedule in buffer time before meeting up. Whatever it was, think about how to prevent it in the future. You can even come up with an escape plan for situations where the date turns out to be so bad that there’s no way to salvage things.
8. Go on a new first date
Put yourself out there! You know what to do on a first date and (hopefully) your new date will know too. A bad first date with one person doesn’t mean that you’ll have a bad date with someone else. Keep dating, and you’ll end up on a date that leads to a new relationship.
Don’t forget that you can’t like everyone you meet and not everyone is going to like you. That’s okay because you only need one person you go on a date with to like you. Eventually, when you meet the right person, you’ll end up on such a good date that it will be your last first date!
