If you’re finally vaxxed and ready to get back into the dating world, you might be thinking, uh, HOW do I do that again? And while we have you covered on WHERE to meet singles (right here on OBC), VICE has you covered with advice from a dating expert on how to make sure it’s not a total train wreck.

Via VICE:

1. Remember it’s ok to be nervous! “If you’re worried about going on a date, it might be because, like a lot of single people out there, you’ll feel like you’ve lost a year of dating and want to make up for lost time. To depressurise your first interaction, a good place to start is to shift your expectations around it. A first date is to have fun – it’s got to be about being curious about the other person. Remind yourself that you’re not being interviewed and it’s a two-way street.”
2. Avoid Pandemic small talk. “Asking, ‘How’s your pandemic going?’ has become the new, ‘How are you today?’ It’s always better if you can take the conversation either into the past or the future, so you could talk about their future travel plans or whether they took up any new hobbies they could tell you about. It’s how you deal with the topic, rather than the topic itself.”
3. Don’t rush it. “After a pandemic, even if you’re not necessarily looking for a long-term relationship thing, some people are feeling as though they should have something going on in their dating lives. It’s important to remember that you’re on your own timeline and you don’t have to reach a milestone at the same time as everyone else.”
4. Remember a bad date is not a failure. “It’s important to remember that everybody experiences rejection. If you go on a date with somebody you’ve been communicating with for a few months, but in real life it turns out you don’t have that level of connection where you want to take things forward, that’s not a failure. There is some element of compatibility that you can only judge in real life that just didn’t connect. Remember that it’s OK to walk away from situations, whether it’s someone who suddenly isn’t as interested in you or someone who is inconsistent.”