A blind date can be a stressful and hectic situation that, if not handled properly, can lead to disaster. Most blind dates are set up with good intentions by friends or coworkers. However, the majority of these dates are more stressful than fun and they run the risk of ruining your reputation with the person that set you up.

If you are being set up on a date, there are a few things that you can do to make the process as painless as possible. Blind dates do not have to be excruciating. They can even be fun. Here are a few dating tips to get through the date and enjoy yourself along the way.

Meet Up First

Going on a blind date with somebody that you don’t know can be extremely awkward. Unless you hit it off right from the start, you could be in for a long night with weird silences and bad flirting. One of the easiest ways to go on one of these dates is to not go on one of these dates. Convince your friend to go out to an event with you and have the guy meet you there before you go on a one-on-one date.

This way you can use your friend as a buffer between the two of you to gauge whether or not you would really want to go out with this person via a solo date. You can even make it a double date. Double dates take all of the pressure off of not knowing the person while combining a familiar face.

Keep Things Simple

Blind dates are not meant for extravagance. If you’re going on a date with somebody that you’ve never met before, keep it simple. Meeting up for a drink is one of the best ways to gauge whether or not you actually have chemistry or a connection with this person.

Going out to an extravagant dinner with somebody that you do not even know can set your bank account back while making him feel obligated to pay the expenses. Keeping things simple is a low investment in yourself and in the person. While this might seem a little impersonal, you should understand that there is no obligation to this person and it is a first date.

Be Yourself

There’s no reason to go on a blind date with somebody if you are not going to be yourself. While being yourself is one of the most common dating tips out there, it’s there for a reason. Never lie to a date, especially if they know a friend or coworker.

Lies will eventually get back to your friend and could even get back to the date, making them feel bad about themselves.If you really like the date and feel the need to lie about your credentials, stop yourself.

If somebody doesn’t like you for you then that’s just the way that things are. More than likely they will see you as the fun, open-minded woman that goes on a date with somebody they’ve never met before and they will take notice of your best qualities. No guy will ever want to be with a girl who is putting on a show, so if he says something you don’t like, call him out on it.

Have An Escape Plan

One of the best tactics for singles is to have an escape plan. More than likely the guy is going to contact you asking you to either grab dinner or drink. Before you respond, put an escape plan into place. One of the best escape plans out there is to tell the guy that you are meeting up with friends later but you would like to get together to grab a drink or dinner.

This gives you a built-in time frame for if the date goes sour. This will also give me an excuse to look over at your phone to see what time it is without seeming rude. Tell the guy that you are meeting some friends two hours after the date is planned. For instance if you meet for dinner or a drink at 8 be sure to tell him that you are meeting friends at 10.

This way the date actually only has to last about an hour and a half because you’ll need enough time to go meet your friends. If the date is going really well, you can always tell him that you can be late or that you are having more fun with him than you would be with your friends.