First impressions are everything in the online dating world. How well we represent ourselves determines how successful we can be. If you are new to online dating or looking for ways to improve your profile, you might be feeling a little overwhelmed. Learn more about the mindsets that will help you overcome some of these common online dating challenges.
“I Hate Writing About Myself!”
Describing yourself online can feel tedious. The key is not getting hung up on answering the profile questions themselves; instead, focus on portraying who you really are.
If you cannot be your authentic self with someone, that is always a deal breaker. But you also won’t know someone completely just by reading their profile. Don’t expect to encapsulate all that you are as a person to the online dating community; that’s impossible to do in a few short paragraphs. Instead, draw attention to the differences that make you unique and describe some of the core values that guide yourlife.
A great way to overcome the challenge of describing yourself is to think about things that you wish more people knew about you. Many people default to describing what is easily written, versus what is relevant – for example: “I like to laugh and have fun. I love to travel and experience new things. I have a dog named Chloe. I like to read or just chill and watch my favorite show on Netflix.”
It’s not that providing this information is wrong, or not good information to know at some point, but it doesn’t reveal much about the unique person you are. By conveying some things that you wish more people knew about you, you will express a more personal side of yourself that has the power to connect with others in a way that describing your Netflix habit just can’t match.
“I Don’t Have Any Good Profile Pictures.”
You do not need to pay a photographer to have great profile pictures. Most smartphones these days have a decent camera built in to them. As long as you experiment with angles and lighting, you should be able to get a decent photo.
Remember, the right person for you is going to see you at your best and at your worst one day. So, don’t get too hung up on pictures. Look presentable enough to feel confident about yourself. Have at least one close-up picture of your face and one full-body picture. Make sure your photos are recent, too – no pictures of you ten years ago or twenty pounds lighter.
“I Want To Make Sure I Don’t Get My Heart Broken.”
Some feel that, in order to weed out what they don’t want, they need to use strong disclaimers in their profiles. However, negative language, gender bashing or mentioning poor behavior from past experiences is incredibly unattractive. The truth about online dating (or any dating, for that matter) is that you will probably feel annoyed or frustrated at least once. You’re not the only one who’s been wronged in the past, but you’ll look bitter if you complain about it in your profile.
Vent your frustrations offline. Nobody wants to dive head first into drama. Leave your profile free of deal-breakers, frustrating past experiences, generalizing the opposite sex in a negative light, rules for messaging you or dating you, your “will” and “won’t do” lists, etc. If you have a bad experience, learn from it and move on.
Utilize these mindsets to overcome some of the most common challenges in creating an online dating profile. Good luck, and enjoy the journey!
You may also be interested in How To Make Your Profile Stand Out On ChristianMingle
