Get Back Into Dating

 

Written by Jenny Catton

 

Recent studies have shown that people in marriages or long-term relationships are happier and healthier than their single counterparts. But not everyone finds their life-long partner at a young age. And whether you’re recently divorced and looking to meet new people or are a single parent who’s ready for romance; looking for love later in life can be a daunting prospect. Luckily the Internet has made it easier than ever to meet likeminded people who are looking for a new relationship. And Internet dating no longer has the stigma it once had. In fact, in the USA, the leading dating website eHarmony claims to be responsible for nearly 5% of all marriages.

 

Getting to grips with Internet dating is pretty easy. There are hundreds of sites to choose from, so you can find one that is tailored to your age group, religion or interests. Once you’ve found a site you like the look of, you join and create a profile. You can then search for people you might like to make contact with and others can contact you.

 

When you start getting interest from people who have viewed your profile, it’s easy to feel excited but don’t rush in. Take the time to find people who you genuinely might get on with and then spend plenty time getting to know them online before you agree to meet them in the real world.

 

Once you’ve met a potential partner online and have spent time chatting, the next step is to arrange to meet. If you’re heading out on your first date for many years, it’s natural to feel a little nervous. Here are some of the things you might want to think about in advance:

 

Where to go

When it comes to a first date, location is very important. A drink in a busy town-centre bar or coffee shop is a good idea. This way if things don’t turn out well, you can make your excuses and leave much more quickly than if you’ve booked a meal in a restaurant.

 

What to talk about

If you’re worried about uncomfortable silences on the first date, think of some topics of conversation in advance that you can fall back on. Reliable topics include favourite films or holiday destinations.

 

Don’t expect to find love straightaway

It can take quite a few dates before you find the perfect match. So don’t embark on every date as though you are about to meet the love of your life. But keep an open mind, even if you don’t find love, you might make a good friend.

Be yourself

Of course, you want to present yourself in the best light possible on your date but it’s important to be yourself too. Don’t try too hard to be smart or funny, just relax and enjoy yourself. Wear clothes that you feel comfortable in, rather than trying to impress with a new outfit.

 

Be honest

If the first date goes well, it could lead to a second and a third so it’s best to be honest from the outset. Let the other person know whether you are looking for marriage or just a bit of fun. Equally, make sure you ask them any important questions that matter to you.

 

Stay safe

Even if you’ve been chatting online with a potential date for several weeks, remember that they are still a stranger. Choose a busy location and plan how you will get home in advance – particularly if you are meeting in an area that you’re not familiar with.Tell a friend where you are going and agree to ring them at a set time to let them know you are safe. Try not to drink too much on a first date – it may steady the nerves but it can also lead to lapses in judgement.

 

Have an escape route

Hopefully, your date will be a big success but if not, it’s good to have a plan so that you can leave quickly if you’re not enjoying yourself. You could arrange to ‘accidentally’ bump into a friend at a set time so that you can leave with them. Alternatively, set an alarm on your phone to ring at a certain time. Then if necessary you can pretend that it’s an urgent call from work or family, make your excuses and leave.

 

If your first date is a disaster – don’t feel disheartened. Treat it as an experience and take what you’ve learnt to improve your future dates. And if you’ve enjoyed the date, let them know and arrange to meet again soon.

 

 

The post Get Back Into Dating appeared first on .

Categories: date, internet dating, meet, nbsp, people, set time, time

Get Back Into Dating

 

Written by Jenny Catton

 

Recent studies have shown that people in marriages or long-term relationships are happier and healthier than their single counterparts. But not everyone finds their life-long partner at a young age. And whether you’re recently divorced and looking to meet new people or are a single parent who’s ready for romance; looking for love later in life can be a daunting prospect. Luckily the Internet has made it easier than ever to meet likeminded people who are looking for a new relationship. And Internet dating no longer has the stigma it once had. In fact, in the USA, the leading dating website eHarmony claims to be responsible for nearly 5% of all marriages.

 

Getting to grips with Internet dating is pretty easy. There are hundreds of sites to choose from, so you can find one that is tailored to your age group, religion or interests. Once you’ve found a site you like the look of, you join and create a profile. You can then search for people you might like to make contact with and others can contact you.

 

When you start getting interest from people who have viewed your profile, it’s easy to feel excited but don’t rush in. Take the time to find people who you genuinely might get on with and then spend plenty time getting to know them online before you agree to meet them in the real world.

 

Once you’ve met a potential partner online and have spent time chatting, the next step is to arrange to meet. If you’re heading out on your first date for many years, it’s natural to feel a little nervous. Here are some of the things you might want to think about in advance:

 

Where to go

When it comes to a first date, location is very important. A drink in a busy town-centre bar or coffee shop is a good idea. This way if things don’t turn out well, you can make your excuses and leave much more quickly than if you’ve booked a meal in a restaurant.

 

What to talk about

If you’re worried about uncomfortable silences on the first date, think of some topics of conversation in advance that you can fall back on. Reliable topics include favourite films or holiday destinations.

 

Don’t expect to find love straightaway

It can take quite a few dates before you find the perfect match. So don’t embark on every date as though you are about to meet the love of your life. But keep an open mind, even if you don’t find love, you might make a good friend.

Be yourself

Of course, you want to present yourself in the best light possible on your date but it’s important to be yourself too. Don’t try too hard to be smart or funny, just relax and enjoy yourself. Wear clothes that you feel comfortable in, rather than trying to impress with a new outfit.

 

Be honest

If the first date goes well, it could lead to a second and a third so it’s best to be honest from the outset. Let the other person know whether you are looking for marriage or just a bit of fun. Equally, make sure you ask them any important questions that matter to you.

 

Stay safe

Even if you’ve been chatting online with a potential date for several weeks, remember that they are still a stranger. Choose a busy location and plan how you will get home in advance – particularly if you are meeting in an area that you’re not familiar with.Tell a friend where you are going and agree to ring them at a set time to let them know you are safe. Try not to drink too much on a first date – it may steady the nerves but it can also lead to lapses in judgement.

 

Have an escape route

Hopefully, your date will be a big success but if not, it’s good to have a plan so that you can leave quickly if you’re not enjoying yourself. You could arrange to ‘accidentally’ bump into a friend at a set time so that you can leave with them. Alternatively, set an alarm on your phone to ring at a certain time. Then if necessary you can pretend that it’s an urgent call from work or family, make your excuses and leave.

 

If your first date is a disaster – don’t feel disheartened. Treat it as an experience and take what you’ve learnt to improve your future dates. And if you’ve enjoyed the date, let them know and arrange to meet again soon.

 

 

The post Get Back Into Dating appeared first on .

Categories: date, internet dating, meet, nbsp, people, set time, time

4 Impressive Endurance Challenges that Even YOU Can Do

New Year’s resolutions can be greatly beneficial to your wellbeing. Not only are fitness goals good for your health, but the sense of achievement you’ll feel when you tick these goals off your list will do wonders for your mental wellness. If you’re looking for a New Year’s fitness resolution with a bit of prestige, you might like to try training for an endurance event. Still, even though it’d be great to be able to say you ran 100 miles or completed a marathon-length swim, who has the time (or inclination) to train for such an event? Luckily, there’s a happy middle ground between striving for an endurance goal with boasting power, and actually having the capacity to achieve it.

 

1. Tough Mudder: According to Pete Williams, editor of EnduranceSportsFlorida.com and the co-author of Mark Verstegen’s Core Performance fitness series, ‘Tough Mudder is roughly 12 miles of obstacles, including 12-foot “Berlin Walls,” a plunge into a “Chernobyl Jacuzzi” (a dumpster full of ice water), and an “Electroshock Therapy” dash through charged wires. With no timing chips, Tough Mudder is billed not as a race but a team event to be faced in groups. Most take around three and a half hours before picking up an orange finisher’s headband for their efforts. Will Dean, who worked in counter-terrorism for the British government, created Tough Mudder as a Harvard Business School project. After debuting in Allentown, Pennsylvania in 2010, Tough Mudder will stage 35 events with more than 460,000 total participants this year.’

 

2. Spartan Race: You may have heard of the Spartan Death Race – which has no set time limit and has lasted as long as 67 hours – but this version is not so punishing. Williams details, ‘Spartan Race comes in three challenging-enough formats – ranging from three to 12-plus miles – that most mortals can attempt. Race creator Joe DeSena, a former Wall Streeter who once did 12 Ironman triathlons in one year, stresses that Spartan is no mud run or team-building event. It’s a race – and a brutal one at that. Athletes must haul five-pound buckets of gravel, climb walls, flip tires, pull hunks of concrete, and run a race-ending gauntlet of Spartan warriors swinging double-sided mallets. Thirty Burpees for each obstacle not finished.’

 

3. Goruck Challenge: Created in 2010 by Green Beret veteran Jason McCarthy as a way to market his $295 military-style rucksacks and provide a taste of Special Forces training, the Goruck Challenge is a firm favourite if you like teamwork and being yelled at by a former Special Ops guy. ‘Goruck now draws “classes” of 30 who must work together to haul telephone poles, railroad ties, and sometimes each other,’ Williams explains. ‘Throughout the event you wear a backpack filled with a water bladder and either four or six bricks depending on your body weight. There’s no set time or distance for the Challenges…but 12 hours and 20-plus miles is typical.’

 

4. Sea Paddle NYC: If you’ve always wanted to see New York, why not do it via stand-up paddleboard? Williams points out that ‘this 26.5-mile charity paddle around Manhattan, which began in 2007 and is held in August, takes most athletes around five hours to complete. Along the way, even veteran paddlers are challenged by the wake churned up by boat traffic in the Hudson and East Rivers before finishing under the Brooklyn Bridge. (Though it’s a calm ride compared to the choppy 32-mile Molokai-to-Oahu challenge in Hawaii, which requires each racer to have a boat escort.) In New York, participants must raise $1,000 that goes to autism-related charities.’

Categories: Endurance Events, event, Goruck Challenge, mudder, set time, spartan, tough, Tough Mudder, williams