We’ve all had them, bad dates, and sometimes it’s easy to dwell on the things that go wrong in our lives, but here’s how to recover from a bad date, because you might miss out on the right person because of it.
Not every date is going to be amazing or memorable (for the right reasons!) and honestly, that's ok, it’s part and parcel of dating.
Professional matchmaker and dating/relationship expert Caroline Brealey (Mutual Attraction) knows that a bad date can leave you feeling deflated though, so here are some tips of recovering from it.
Table of Contents
Getting over a bad date
Feel crappy
Allow yourself some time to feel a bit crappy. It's disappointing if a date didn't go well, even more so if you've been chatting to them online for a while or have been wanting to date them for a while. Give yourself a day or 2 to feel sorry for yourself then get back out there.
Perspective
Remember - it was just a bad date. Putting it into perspective can really help because it's not something you should get hung up on and it may even turn out to be a funny story one day. Think through the conversation and decide if the date was bad or you were just interpreting things wrong. Everyone has a bad night every now and then. Reassess the situation to see if the date was as bad as you thought it was. Decide whether another date could be fun. First impressions are not always the right impression.
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Reflect
Reflect on the date afterwards. Why did it not go so well? It’s easy to blame the other person but sometimes it might be a case that you need to work on yourself. For example, did you contribute to the conversation? Were you friendly? Smiling? Did you ask questions? Make the other person feel at ease?
Beat the blues
Grab your friends and have a night out - it beats any blues.
More tips to getting over a bad date
Go out again
If you liked the person and got a good vibe, then there’s no reason why you can’t go out again. Maybe your awkward behaviour is impossible to recover from or maybe they felt like they were the one being awkward and would love the chance to try again.
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It’s just one date
The weight of a million bad dates can feel pretty heavy, but separate them out in your mind and realise that for every bad date, there’s totally a great one out there waiting for you, as well.
Focus on the funny
Take a deep breath and laugh. Call or text a friend about the date. Let go of the frustration and laugh about the situation. Focus on the funny side of the date to release the feelings of frustration from the bad date.
Is it time to take a break from dating?
Take a short break from dating to get your head on straight before seeing other individuals. Several bad dates in a row can cause a person to become unsure of themselves. Be patient and get to know yourself again. Go out with some friends and get back into the swing of enjoying other people's company.