Lucas M
Think about a time when you and your date had nothing to say for long periods on a date. You know how horrible the experience is. Trust me, you don’t want to experience it if you haven’t. With the proper knowledge, you can say bye-bye to awkward dates. Below are 15 things you can do to stop having awkward silences on your first dates. Practice them, and your future self will thank you!
Prepare Conversation Starters
Preparation is vital to having a great date. Prepare a few open-ended questions to get things going. Ask about hobbies, interests, and fun experiences. Open-ended questions can’t be quenched with a yes or no answer. They’ll open the ground for you and your date to discuss more things.
Look for Common Ground
People enjoy talking about things they’re interested in, so to get both of you talking, find what you both love and talk about it. If you are matched on a dating app, you can see some of their interests without asking.
Avoid Controversial Topics
You can’t tell if your date thrives on controversial topics on a first date because it’s just a first date. Keep away from politics, religion, or gender roles. Discussing such issues can get heated and cause disinterest in further chat and awkward silence for minutes or until the end of the date.
Listen Actively
Take note of what your date is saying and ask for more details. On the one hand, it shows you’re engaged and interested in what they’re sharing. Conversely, prompting them to share more will kill the chances of any weird silence.
Respond with Details
Don’t just say “yes” or “no.” Go deep with your answers. Share your perspective on the topic. A yes or no answer may make it hard for your date to keep sharing, but when you say more with your answers, there are opportunities for more discussions.
Allow Silence Happen
Give silence a chance occasionally. A brief, quiet moment isn’t a bad thing. It can give you both an opportunity to collect your thoughts. Constantly filling the silence can create pressure to keep the conversation going—a pressure that, if not well managed, will end in what you’re trying to avoid.
Acknowledge Silence with Humor
What if the silence stretches and is on a speed lane towards awkwardness? Lighten the mood with a playful comment. You can throw in a “looks like we’ve run out of things to say for a minute!” Humor can help push the awkwardness away and help you relax.
Find Something in the Environment
There should be an object or happening around you on which you can build a dialogue. It could be an interesting piece of artwork on the wall or the music playing in the background. Ask open-ended questions about things around you. Share your thoughts, too. See where it leads you.
Talk About Current Events
Many interesting things are happening around the world daily. You see them trending on social media and the news or hear them from office gossip. Bring up some of them, and remember to keep your questions open-ended, keep the discussion light, and steer clear of controversial topics.
Keep Your Phone Away
Pay attention to your date and not your phone. Your date may find using your phone disrespectful, and that’s a recipe for awkward silence. Picture both of you using your phones, then picture both of your phones put aside while you focus on each other and decide which is better.
Choose an Activity Date
How about you go bowling or play a game? Having fun over physical activities reduces the pressure to talk constantly. The activities can provide opportunities to converse and things to talk about later. If prolonged silence slips in, the activities you’re engaged in will reduce the awkwardness.
Give a Compliment
Pointing out one or two things you genuinely like about their outfit, taste, or something they said earlier is a great way to break the silence. They should love it. If they respond in a way that prompts you to say more, it can also lead to further chat.
Excuse Yourself
Sometimes, you can escape uncomfortable silence by giving yourself a break from the date. Take a bathroom break or ask for some minutes to think about some stuff—even if you may not need to use the bathroom or do any thinking. It’s better than forcing talk.
Practice, Practice
The more you invite people on dates or agree to dates, the more comfortable you’ll become handling first dates. When you read the other tips, practice them. See which works for you and which doesn’t. One day, you’ll find that your dates no longer have awkward silences.
Exit Gracefully
It’s better to end the date early than to spend hours fighting awkward silence. If there’s no spark, you don’t know what to do, or you’ve tried what you know, and the silence keeps reoccurring, you can politely end the date early and plan another date.
Comments
Loading…