July 2016 Magazine | Page 27

Dear Jitters, Congratulations for being bold and saying yes to your first date after your divorce! Having the jitters is normal and common, so don’t think you’re alone in feeling this way. I have some good news for you, there’s no way to do dating wrong, especially if you release the judgment that you will do it wrong. Try the following secrets to calming your dating jitters. All of them are exercises that promote presence and calm. SECRETS TO CALMING THE DATING JITTERS • Before you meet your date, breathe in deeply through your nose, hold the breath for a slow count of five, then exhale through your mouth and purposely expand your energy out. Repeat this until you feel calmer. • At the beginning of the date say, “You’re my first date since my divorce, so I’m a bit nervous.” Naming how you feel out loud often helps relieve your anxiety by fifty percent or more! And, there’s a likelihood that he’ll be flattered and compassionate about your feelings. Heck, he may be feeling anxious, too! • Put the attention on him rather than on you and your nervousness. to experience how fun and calming it is. • Be prepared with interesting and fun conversation starter questions. ConversationStarters.com is a great site to visit. • Notice something in the restaurant that catches your eye. Describe it to yourself— its shape, approximate size, weight, the space that it contains, colors, textures, etc. Move on to another object and do the same thing. Keep going until you feel calmer. • Imagine how you’d like the date to go before you meet with him. Visualize the expression on his face, how calm you feel, and how much fun you are both having. The more you do this, the more likely you are to experience what you desire versus what you fear. Remember, as you imagine, so it is. Here are some tips to keeping the focus on your date: • Imagine that you are an artist painting your date ’s face or portrait on a canvas. Envision how you’d paint his face (you can do this while he’s talking without him noticing what you’re doing). What colors would you use? Notice the shape of his eyes. How would you paint them? Where would you place the shading around his eyes, nose, and mouth? Keep doing this curiosity exercise until you feel more present. Extra tip: Try practicing this on other people (without letting them know what you’re doing) before going on your date Have fun! Tamara Elle Magazine dubs Tamara Green, LCSW “The Soul-centered Love Expert.” She is an author, speaker and trainer, helping thousands of people to navigate the waters of love, dating and relationships – all while falling madly in love with themselves in the process. Trained as a Love Mentor® by Dr. Diana Kirschner, Individual and Couples Psychotherapist, Meditation Practitioner and Hypnotherapist, Tamara’s coaching is highly effective as she combines her many years of professional training with her gifts as an energy healer, intuitive and seer. As a result, Tamara creates an exciting catalyst for deep emotional healing, giving her clients greater success in life and love. She has devoted her life to helping women rise out of pain and fear so they can finally experience the long lasting and loving relationship of their dreams. As well as working 1-on-1, Tamara offers free weekly meditation audios that take you on a journey of love with ease and joy. Join Tamara’s community at tamaragreen.me; Facebook facebook.com TGreenLoveExpert; youtube: youtube.com/channel/UC9MqTnZEJYNEpKnwrjsZ40A eydismedia.com 27