It's hard to believe that the first day of fall is here — or at least it would be if we hadn't been bombarded with Pumpkin Spice everything since the middle of August. But we have finally made it to the autumnal time and if your summer romance has faded and you want some lovin', I seriously think that needing the extra body heat in winter is a totally acceptable reason for getting into a relationship. Luckily, the folks at Match have dug through their massive Singles in America survey to help you 'fall' in love. And the first step is going on a second date.
The first date gets a lot of attention and buildup, and I get that because they can be super terrifying and awkward. For a lot of us, it's actually the second date where you get over your nerves and actually start to connect. And interestingly, Match found that 59 percent of users don't even expect to feel chemistry until the second date. The trick is to make it through those first awkward drinks alive and get to the second date — where you can see if the chemistry blossoms.
Actually, there are a lot of ways you can make sure you make it to a second date. It's not just about your personalities, everything from what you order to what you talk about may even make a second date more likely. So here are seven steps to help you get there:
1. Meeting Online Ain't So Bad
Despite what The Dating Apocalypse says, meeting through online dating isn't so bad. And meeting online— or through a matchmaker offline— has the highest rate of a second date and it's 28 percent higher than any other method.
2. Love Doesn't Have To Be At First Sight
Worried about that missing spark? Thirty-give percent of people reported falling "deeply in love with someone whom they didn’t initially find attractive". So if you're on the fence, it's probably worth giving it a second try.
3. Sushi And Cocktails Are Sexy
Not sure what to order? Getting sushi increases your chances of a second date by 170 percent. I guess they assume if you can use chopsticks deftly you must be good with your hands. And a cocktail increases your chances by 137 percent, so skip the beer and go for that mojito.
4. Tickle The Funny Bone
Laughter is the best medicine and the best spark-er. According to Match, over 93 percent of singles say a sense of humor is incredible important. And 69 percent of women and 56 percent of men think having a good sense of humor and/or charisma helps score a second date.
5. Talk Politics
I know that it's normally considered taboo, but a good politics chat makes it way more likely you'll meet up a second time. Like, 91 percent more likely.
6. But Keep Your Sexual History Out Of It
When it comes to our sexual past, it's best to keep that a mystery on the first date (and even beyond that, many would argue). If you ask someone how many people they've slept with, your chances of a second date drop by 40 percent.
7. Timing Is Everything
Have your friend waiting on speed dial in case the date goes badly? It's good to have an escape route, because dragging it out all evening might not be in your best interest. Around two hours is the ideal time for getting a second date — two and a quarter hours, to be exact.
Images: Fotolia; Giphy
