Making Sure a Date Ends Well
The end of the date can either be really good or really bad. If you have had even one date end badly or uncomfortably you sure don’t want to do it again. There are some simple ways to avoid the discomfort that one often feels when the evening is drawing to an end. Planning ahead will help you avoid the awkward feelings and discomfort at the end of a poorly planned date.
Great Ways to End a Date
1. Make sure that you plan an end time. This sounds odd, but when you say, we can go out for dinner and drinks but I need to be home by 8pm you will put an end time to your date. This will allow you to have an out, either way, so that you don’t have to drag things on and on for fear of hurting their feelings or not knowing if you should seal things with a kiss, shake hands, or hug.
2. Just be honest with your date. The thing that we often do that makes the end of a date uncomfortable is we try to be too nice or too accommodating. If you are done eating and that is all you had planned, be honest about whether you would like to see the person again and ask them to be honest too. When you are straight forward about these things it takes a lot of the discomfort out of the process of drawing the date to a close.
3. Drive yourself. The worst thing you can do on a date is drive together. Why? Because you are sort of at their mercy as to when you leave. When you have your own transportation there is some comfort in knowing that you can take your leave at any time. If you decide you don’t want to see each other again at the restaurant, you still have to ride back to your place or your meeting place together.
4. Don’t take things too seriously. If you want to avoid the uncomfortable endings to a first date, be sure that you keep things light and fun. When you keep things light ending the date is a lot more natural and you won’t feel the tension and anxiety that comes with the end of dates that are taken too seriously.
5. Don’t just listen to your date, watch them. Body language will often tell you how they are really feeling so that will lessen your anxiety about where things stand. If they are moving away from you and not making eye contact, you don’t need to talk about a second date. If they are making eye contact, touching your shoulder, and leaning in when they talk, a second date is definitely in your future. Paying attention to body language will help you end a date with class!