Photo by Ahmed Sinan / CC BY
Dating after 50 can be an exciting and terrifying experience all at the same time. Whether you were married and got divorced, lost your significant other or just find yourself out on the market again, the challenges can feel overwhelming. Not to worry, I’ve got you covered! In the first of our multi-part series I will talk about taking your first step in getting back into the game… the flirt.
I’m sure you remember when you had your first flirty moment as a teen! You were having fun and then suddenly, boom, you were getting your flirt on! Before you knew it, you were flexing those flirt muscles and laughing and smiling. Maybe you had a work flirtation, maybe someone at the grocery store. At the same time, flirting when there is no chance of it going anywhere is completely different from flirting with real emotions on the line – at least in your head anyway.
Dating After 50:Learn To Flirt
1. Listen
Listening is incredibly important in flirting, stop trying to think about what you’re going to say next. Take a moment and hear what the other person is saying and your next line will flow much more naturally. I lived in Ireland for some time and one of my co-workers would always say “Say nothing and you hear more.”
2. Move
So much of how we communicate is body language. Your lips, arms, hands and even eyes play important parts in flirting. Don’t fold your arms open your body up and most importantly, breath. Dating after 50 can take a bit more thought when it comes to the physicality of it all, but stay focused on the prize. The more relaxed you are about the whole process physically, the better.
3. Laugh
Laughter is the best medicine and always makes the moment a little lighter! Don’t fake it, if something is truly funny let it flow, but don’t force it. The secret is to sprinkle the laughs in without pushing so hard that you’re straining yourself like a laugh track from an 80’s television show!
4. Name Names
The sweetest word in the English language, or any language is someone’s name. Do whatever you can to memorize it in your head and if you can’t do that, quickly jot it into your phone while you’re talking, but do it casually and discreetly. If you don’t pepper the conversation with the person’s name this time, remembering it the next time you see them is an even bigger bonus!
5. Touch
Touch is an extremely important aspect of flirting. The most important thing is to gauge when the moment it right. Some people REALLY don’t like touching, but you probably don’t want to date those people anyway. If you’re on a date a leg to leg touch is sometimes the spark that can make an afternoon date a night to remember.
So there you have it, the beginning of your journey when you are dating after 50. It’s a long journey, but well worth it in the end!
As always, should you decide you don’t want to date anyone and just want to spend an evening home alone, you can always Rent A Sybian From Ride of Her Life in Los Angeles!