As a socially awkward person, I almost never look forward to a first date.
Most of the time, people think the ideal first date is going out to eat with someone. I personally think this couldn’t be farther from the truth. There is nothing scarier for me than sitting across from someone that I’m not familiar with and being expected to maintain a conversation with them for a few hours. I literally feel like I need to overly prepare for it like I would for a job interview:
What if I don’t have anything interesting to say?
What if they don’t have anything interesting to say and I’m bored but I can’t leave just yet?
What if they notice how awkward/nervous I am and it makes them feel awkward TOO?
I’m sure many of you can relate.
Is it normal for first dates to be awkward?
Of course!
A first date is an opportunity to get to know someone and see if you see yourself being in a relationship with them. You may go on a date with someone you just met or with someone that you were friends with or knew before but you just didn’t have that romantic aspect to your relationship. Either way, it is perfectly normal for a first date to be a bit awkward because both parties are engaging in some new territory and everybody wants to make sure they are putting their best foot forward.
So you are not alone. Even if the other person seems to have it perfectly together, most likely they are also feeling a bit nervous. They just might be really good at hiding it!
So, to take the stress away from the first date, here are 15 chill and fun first date ideas so you don’t have to worry about being awkward and can actually enjoy getting to know the other person.
20 Stress-Free First Date Ideas for Socially Awkward People
1. Go to a movie
2. Check out a karaoke night
3. Go to an arcade
3. Check out a wine and paint
4. Go to an amusement park
5. Watch a live sports game
6. Go to a concert
7. Go bowling
8. Go to an improv class
9. Go to a dance class
10. Go on a food tour
11. Go to a museum
12. Organize a friendly game of your favorite sport
13. Go to a cooking class
14. Go to a wine tasting
15. Have a simple, chill movie night at home (if it’s someone that you already know and are comfortable with)
16. Plan a little game night at home
17. Go get some ice cream
18. Take a stroll along the beach
19. Go stargazing
19. Check out a drive-in movie
20. Go to a pottery class
21. Go roller-skating
22. Go ice-skating
What can you do to make a first date fun?
To make a first date fun, I find it helpful to take the focus away from me, the other person and the date itself. It helps when we are doing some fun activity where we are not solely focused on talking to each other. This can help you get out of your head and be more present. That way, you’ll actually enjoy getting to know this person and spending time with them.
Also, remember to be yourself during your first date. It’s very easy to stress about what you’ll wear or how you should act during the date because you want to show up in your best light. Of course, you want to make sure that you are well put-together but don’t do or say anything that is out of character for you.
Believe it or not, people notice when you’re not being authentic and that wouldn’t be a good base to start a potential relationship from. So be yourself and try to not overthink the small stuff too much. You will be able to have a lot more fun on this date because you won’t be so worried about what the other person thinks of you.
I hope you just found your next fun date idea from this list!
