The thrill of matching with someone. The nervousness before a first date. The butterflies from a new crush. The panic of accidentally liking their photo from four years ago whilst online stalking.
Being ghosted.
Taking an IG story watch as a declaration of love. Sending your BFF screenshots of convos, accompanied by “what’s a flirty response to this?”
Modern dating is filled with all these ups and downs and more! It can be rough out there, and we can use all the help we can get.
So we decided to ask the Poosh team to share their best dating tips. Ofc, everyone is different, so take what speaks to you, and leave the rest.
-“My rule of thumb when it comes to dating is to ALWAYS schedule a first date (whether it’s dinner or drinks) on Monday through Thursday. That way, if it’s not going well or you’re just not vibing, you can use a ‘big day at work tomorrow’ to end it early.” —Meredith, Senior Manager, E-comm
-“Always communicate how you’re feeling—if they can’t take it they ain’t it! For example: If you want to text them or hang out, text them or tell them you want to hang out. Playing hard to get will create distance that they then also partake in, which makes it that much harder to get close. F*ck playing games. I think it’s much cooler to be open about your needs and go after what you want and love hard. Being open about where you’re at can also make them comfortable to be romantic in return. If they’re not feeling it, they won’t reciprocate. Think of the movie He’s Just Not That Into You. You’ll know, and you can move in close…or move on.” —Nicole, Managing Editor
-“The best piece of advice I was given was to stop thinking about it as, ‘Do they like me?’ and instead go into it as ‘Do I like them?’. Dating is an opportunity to figure out what you want—and don’t want—in a partner. It helped me to journal about it. But it’s also very easy to get discouraged, so in the darker moments, I found this column to be a balm for my weary soul. —Allie, Wellness Editor
-“If you’re on the apps and into someone, move it to texting, so it doesn’t lose steam. To that point, get an in-person date set up sooner rather than later versus dragging on the communication via phone. If the person is lagging, delaying, or not making time, they’re likely not really interested in you as a person. Thank you…next!” —Rob, Partnerships Director
-“Look for someone who would never think you’re ‘too much’. In life you want to love too hard, feel too deeply, ask too often. Find a partner who will embrace everything, and all that this entitles!” —Alexa, Editorial Assistant
-“My advice is don’t date, lol. Apps freak me out. There are some weird dating predators out there. Clearly, I’ve not had the best experiences, and I feel like it’s a waste of time. But when I do date, I know pretty quickly if I’m actually into them or not…I hate wasting time. If I’m not into someone after a few dates, I let them know right away! And I agree with Meredith—first dates are only on Monday through Thursday, or else I see it as a red flag, lol.” —Lily, Brand Partnerships
-“When I lived in NYC, which is like a serial dating world, I would try to book two dates in a night. I would book the guy I was more nervous for second and use the first as a warm up, lol. It limited the amount of work nights I was drinking. Plus, if I’m taking the time to get all ready, I might as well make it worth it.” —Lindsay, Experiential Marketing Manager
