How to Recover From a Disastrous First Date
Most people have had their fair share of bad first dates. There are a lot of things that can go wrong on a first date, and you can't prevent them all from happening. How to recover from a disastrous first date and move on – or find the strength to take advantage of a second chance?The most common reason first dates turn out disastrous is that people just aren't right for each other, but that's not always the case. Sometimes people screw things up by being nervous, sometimes the circumstances are unfavorable. Be that as it may, one disastrous first date is not the end of the world. How to get over it?
Don't be too hard on yourself and the other person. First dates are stressful, so it's very easy to mess up. To err is human, after all. Forgive yourself for everything you've said or done wrong. You should forgive the other person too, unless they were rude or abusive. Take for granted that first dates rarely go without a hitch. If you really like the other person and they like you in return, you both deserve a second chance.
Apologize. If you can't forgive yourself, apologizing will help you break free from your burden of guilt. Contact them and let them know you are genuinely sorry for offending them. Sending an apology gift may be too much, but if you hope to get a second chance, go for it! Just don't get angry when they accept your apology but make it clear they don't want to see you again.
Learn your lesson. No matter whether you've got a second chance or not, you need to figure out what you can learn from this experience in order not to make the same mistake twice. Maybe you need to do things differently the next time or avoid a certain type of people. Sometimes it takes several bad first dates to get the hang of dating.
Move on. If there is absolutely no possibility of a second chance, accept it and move on. There is plenty of other fish in the sea, don't get hung up on the person who doesn't want to be with you. You will have a lot of first dates, some of them will be good, some will be bad or mediocre, but in the end everything will work out!
Take a break from dating. If you have one disastrous first date after another, you might need to take a break from dating. Perhaps you are trying too hard to make everything right and that's what makes you fail. Hang out with friends, take a trip, find a hobby, take up volunteering, in other words – make the most of your single life.
The best things in life happen when you least expect it. When you meet new people without thinking about having a romantic relationship with them, you feel more relaxed. Maybe one of your new friends will become more than a friend, skipping the whole “bad first date” stage.