Five tips for feeling more confident during a video date

Thanks to Covid we’ve all had to adjust our lives and behaviours and meeting new people is no exception. Video dates have now become the norm and many singles now face the added worry of not coming across as well as they would in person.

One survey showed that 59 percent of adults are more self-conscious on camera than in real life.

It’s easy to see why! Most of the time you only see a person’s face during the video call so many of the non-verbal cues that tell if someone’s attracted to you are hidden for example mirroring the other person’s posture. But not only that, since you can see yourself in the video you may be tempted to look at yourself rather than your date.

Luckily, there are some tips that will help you feel more comfortable during video dates.

1. Do a trial run or two

Did you hear the story of a boss who turned herself into a speaking potato during a Zoom call? To avoid mishaps like this one practice and try any new tech / app before your video date so you have familiarised yourself with it. This will help you feel more in control and you make sure you have point 2 & 3 covered. Bonus tip: If you live in a noisy household or area it’s best to use your headphones during the call to reduce any of the background noise.

2. Check your appearance

Whilst many will tell you video dating is way more relaxed please don’t rock up in your jammies – first impressions still matter! Find a comfy place to sit or stand for a long period of time and charge any devices or have the chargers ready in case your battery gets low. Have a cuppa or glass of water ready, too.

3. Position your camera

While you check yourself out during a test run (How you doin’?) pay attention to the positioning of your camera. Check lighting, facing a window is great, and scan what’s visible in the background. Remove any items (hey there dildo!) you’d want to keep private and make sure your camera is positioned at eye level. Most of us look down at our phones and no one looks good from that angle. Likewise, don’t lie down…unless it’s a booty call then get that sex toy back out. 😉

4. Get in the right mindset

One way to calm pre-date jitters it through visualisation. Imagine really clicking with the other person, really feel those feelings of attraction, picture yourself having an amazing time. This might sound woo-woo but visualisation has been proven to trick your mind – it simply cannot tell if what you’re imagining is real or not. So instead of thinking doom and gloom – think happy thoughts! It will come across during your video.

5. And, breathe….

Another way to tackle nervousness is breathing. Paying attention to your breathing before a call can really help you relax and is the quickest way to reduce any anxiety. Try this exercise: Look at the palm of your left hand (if you are right-handed) and place the index finger of your right hand at the bottom of your thumb where it meets your wrist. Now breathe in slowly and trace your finger up to the tip of your thumb and down the other side on the exhale. Then up your left index finger and down again. Travel along all your fingers breathing in and out slowly and when you’ve reached the outside of your hand, go in reverse. Repeat this as long as you need to feel calm.

And there you have it. Now all you need is a lovely single person to video chat with so hop on over to Plentymorefish.com now!

PS: If video dates make you really uncomfortable it’s ok to say no and just have a regular phone conversation until you do.