Yes, Meditation Can Actually Help Calm Your Pre-Date Nerves

Nothing riles up the nerves quite like a first date. The anticipation, the self-doubt, the hope — it's a lot to process. The hours leading up to your rendezvous with a potential love interest might be spent anxiously sifting through outfits or FaceTiming your bestie for reminders of all your desirable qualities and a list of conversation starters. Rather than spinning into a frenzy of stress, what if we tapped into the ancient practice of meditation and found some alignment pre-date? Could this potentially shift the entire trajectory of your date?

We've all heard how important mindset is and that our thoughts play a big part in creating our experience of reality. So not only could meditation soothe your nerves, it will likely put you more closely in touch with your true self and able to approach the date from a more authentic place. Let's take a closer look at how meditation can help calm your pre-date nerves.

Whether you're new to meditation or a seasoned pro, different scenarios may call for different methods of meditation. Guided meditations and visualization can be great for nerve-wracking events like a job interview or a first date. If your mind is abuzz with worst-case scenarios, then mindfulness and sitting alone with your thoughts might not be the perfect tools to shift your perspective. This is where the guiding voice of a meditation teacher can be particularly anchoring. Visualize how you'd like the date to go, and also — this is key! — imagine yourself in a positive, calm state of being, no matter how the date unfolds.

Playing a guided meditation from an app to help ease you into positive visualization can work wonders. Relate offers a 15-minute guided meditation specifically for first-date anxiety. Affirmations, journaling, prayer, body scans, meditative walks, and breathwork could all also be beneficial avenues to become more aligned, aware, and conscious before putting yourself out there.

The meditation doesn't have to end once you leave the house. Mantras, repeated words or sounds used to aid in focus, are great, subtle tools to pull out if butterflies set in during your date. Choose a mantra you'll use before you leave the house that you intuitively feel will reel your nerves in and center your mind. "I trust my instincts" or "I'm enjoyable to be around" might be the words you'll feel most connected to. "I act in alignment with my truth" or "I am a desirable and beautiful person" might also be the mantras that'll do the trick.

You could opt to carry a small crystal in your pocket, discreetly holding it when you begin to feel out of alignment or on edge. Bringing an essential oil roller might also be wise if aromatherapy tends to be grounding for you. There are many small ways to stay tethered to yourself when you're in a new situation, and whether the date is an absolute dream or not exactly a match, you'll leave feeling a sense of wholeness within yourself that can't be toppled.