Want to find a date? Leave internet and meet people

Travelling on public transport? Grabbing a snack in a coffee shop? Next time you see someone interesting reading a book you like, try striking up a conversation with them about it. ILLUSTRTION | IGAH

What you need to know:

  • Keep your ears open for any open events your friends are planning to go to, like a new exhibition or book launch. And tag along.
  • So talk to more of them! Practice on waiters and on shop assistants. And try taking a class. Learn a new language, or something career related. Remember how easy it was to make friends at school? You can do that again. 
  • Travelling on public transport? Grabbing a snack in a coffee shop? Next time you see someone interesting reading a book you like, try striking up a conversation with them about it.

These days it feels like the internet’s the only way to find a date. But actually meeting new people the traditional way – in real life – is much more fun! 

But it can be scary, and if you spend all your time online, you’ve probably forgotten how it’s done!

Get back in the swing of things by tagging along with your workmates for a quick drink after work. Because even though you’re sure you’ll never want to date any of them, they probably have nice friends. So if one of your colleagues invites you somewhere else after happy hour, don’t miss the opportunity to meet some of them.

And if someone wants to set you up on a date, go for it! Your friends know you, so the chances are they’ll introduce you to people you’ll like. So stop rolling your eyes, this is one of the best ways there is to meet good dates…

Keep your ears open for any open events your friends are planning to go to, like a new exhibition or book launch. And tag along. Because that’s a good way to go somewhere slightly outside your comfort zone without being completely on your own.

START TALKING

Become a regular somewhere. Because once you’ve become really comfortable in your favourite coffee shop, bookstore, or whatever, and are on familiar terms with the staff, you’ll find you have the confidence to talk to people you meet there.

And that’s important, because almost everything nice that ever happens to you will start with a conversation with a stranger. So develop the habit of talking to people you don’t know. You have to be on the alert for con artists and the like, but most times you start talking to a stranger, you’ll have a great time.

So talk to more of them! Practice on waiters and on shop assistants. And try taking a class. Learn a new language, or something career related. Remember how easy it was to make friends at school? You can do that again. 

Or find some voluntary work, whether career oriented or charitable. If you choose something you enjoy and care about, you’ll find yourself in a group of like-minded individuals.

Travelling on public transport? Grabbing a snack in a coffee shop? Next time you see someone interesting reading a book you like, try striking up a conversation with them about it. Someone’s making eyes at you? Go and say something to them?

Above all, do more things alone. Because you’ll be much more likely to talk to people you don’t know, and they’ll be more likely to talk to you. You’re shy about going out on your own? Take a book or magazine as a prop, and do something small to begin with – like just a simple cup of coffee. And don’t spend all your time staring at your phone! It’s very off-putting. Instead, look around, and before you know it, you’ll be chatting to someone new!