Going on a first date with a new guy should be a fun and exciting time! However, any new relationship brings a great deal of stress and nervousness. After all, it’s easy to get sidetracked in worrying about how everything will go so that you forget to enjoy yourself.
So, if you’re not careful, what should be fun anticipation can quickly become anxiety and dread.
Luckily, there are plenty of ways you can prepare for a first date — and all the jitters that come with it. And some of these include very simple techniques you can do to help calm yourself down before you get going.
To enjoy the experience of a new partner, and what could be the start of an amazing relationship together, you have to be fully present and yourself. After all, you don’t want to feel like things didn’t go well afterward because you were too nervous you couldn’t calm down or get comfortable.
By controlling the flow of your nervous energy, you’ll make it much easier to enjoy your time together rather than worry about everything. But just how do you control these emotions?
You can put yourself in a better state of mind with “energy work,” which will help you alleviate stress and other emotional blocks that might be impairing you.
So before you go on your first date, to make sure you’re as much of “you” as possible, here are some meditative and palmistry-inspired techniques you can use to put yourself into a healthy, happy, and relaxed state of mind.
1. Focus on your breathing.
When you’re nervous, your breathing tends to be shallow, which cuts down how much oxygen you get. This will make you feel worse in general, and it certainly doesn’t help with nervous butterflies!
So before your first date, you need to practice “whole body breathing.”
You can do this by standing up and putting your arms out in front of you like you’re holding a large beach ball. As you inhale slowly into your diaphragm, expand your arms outward, as though the ball is getting bigger. Then exhale, bringing them back to your starting position. Then, inhale again.
Make sure you’re focusing on your breath and letting it in and out at a steady, controlled pace. Do this a few times until you feel calm. This exercise not only feels great when you do it, but it will help invigorate all of your cells and increase your oxygen intake
2. Visualize what you want from your date.
Take five minutes before your date to envision the best possible outcome. Also, take the time to set your “intention” for the meeting.
Is your intention to find out if this is someone that you really connect with? To simply have a good time together? Determine what you want the first date to bring you and imagine the outcome with all the best possible scenarios.
Whatever you do, do not allow yourself to fall into negative thinking patterns or just assume that your date will be a train wreck.
Complete this intention-setting exercise after you’ve done your full-body breathing so that you are calm, relaxed, and ready to see yourself as confident, secure, engaging, and having fun with your date.
Imagine the things you want to say to them and how the conversation will go in your mind. Make it as fun and interesting as possible and allow your excitement — without the fear — to really shine through!
3. Give yourself a hand massage.
Whether it’s in palmistry or everyday life, your hands are an important part of who you are. They’re a “mirror” of you. And if you’re nervous, chances are good your hands will show it.
You might clench your fists, twiddle with your fingers, tap, or drum them on a surface. They can end up holding a lot of tension, which is unsurprising before a first date.
So, to help you calm down and keep your energy flowing smoothly throughout every part of your body, give your hands a mini massage.
To do this, start by “waking up” your hands and massaging the center of your palms. This is known in Qigong (an ancient Chinese method of energy work), as your “lao gong” point. It’s a powerful part of your hand that allows you to transmit and receive energy. So when you rub this portion, you may feel tingling or heat. This is a good indication that your hand is “activated.”
After you’ve “woken” your hand up, extend the massage to the other parts of your hand and down each of your fingers. You’ll feel relaxed and ready to receive some good energy vibes!
4. Practice holding a “mudra.”
Mudras are essentially a meditative “chant” like a mantra but for your hands.
There are different positions you can place your hands in that welcome energy associated with particular archetypes. One of the best ways to keep yourself calm before a date is to seek out the energy of the “Temperance” archetype. It brings balance, harmony, and cooperation to “find what works.”
This will help settle your out-of-control nerves and get you in a positive mindset before going off to meet with your date.
To create this energy, touch your ring fingers and little fingers together, breathe slowly in and out, and focus on the positive things you’d like to see for this meeting.
Your ring finger, also called your Apollo finger in palmistry, is good for outer expression. So you’ll be able to make a good impression and exude confidence. Your little, or Mercury finger, is all about communication. “Activating” this finger will allow you to speak clearly as well as listen more attentively.
Nervousness, stress, and anxiety are normal and natural parts of any first date. But by practicing these four simple steps for energy work, you’ll be able to go out and make a great first impression.
This is your time to shine; your time to connect with a new person, and feel happy and confident in your own skin. Don’t let your emotional state control you before you get that chance.
Relax and have a good time on your first date!
Originally written by Cynthia Clark on YourTango
Featured image via Pavel Danilyuk on Pexels
