Let’s say you haven’t been on a date for a while. Or maybe you’re going through a rut and recent dates haven’t gone exactly as planned. Maybe you got nervous, said something stupid, and couldn’t move past it and make the date better. Getting nervous is a good way to make a date go wrong, not right. So let’s take a deep breath, sit down, and think about a few things to calm your mind before you scare some poor boy or girl away with your profuse sweating and cracking voice.

Here are Dating Dave’s 7 top tips to calm you down and make the date go smoothly.

Tip 1: If you’ve never tried meditating, you should. Meditation doesn’t require religious connotations or a belief in some mysticism, it can be just a simple breathing exercise where you close out all noise and thought and focus on your breathing and posture. Close your eyes and relax, and focus just on your breathing. This will lull you into a calm state of existence where nothing else matters but your breathing. Now open your eyes. You’re calmer, right? If you aren’t, you didn’t truly focus.

Tip 2: Try singing a song loudly. Bust out the old Led Zeppelin albums you have on vinyl and pretend you’re a rock star for a minute. This will get you energized and give you a fun release of tension. Also, have you ever seen a rock star not win the girl? Exactly.

Tip 3: Do any type of stretching exercise that works for you. This can be simple stuff like reaching the ceiling, grabbing your toes, or arching your back. Loosen up your body, and your mind will follow.

Tip 4: Get those endorphins flowing and move around. You don’t have to pace, maybe just take a walk to check the mail. Movement always helps.

Tip 5: Give yourself a good rub down. A massage will relax you like nothing else. This comes back to the idea of loosening up the body for the sake of the mind. The two are deeply connected, and a massage will certainly help kick your jitters.

Tip 6: Act like the child you once were, and probably still are. Do some jumping jacks or a somersault, or a cart wheel if you can. Even if you’re already on your way to a date. Stop off at a swing set and giggle like a fool.

Tip 7: Maybe let off a little steam. Work yourself up and get mad, only to let loose in your apartment by yourself. Try to keep the anger going. Most of the time, you can’t. This isn’t to say that you should get really upset and then go on a date, but rather channel your nervousness into frustration and anger, because that is an emotion that is usually easier to get rid of.

If any of these work for you, try them. And you can always tell yourself that the other person’s opinion won’t kill you. If the date doesn’t work out, so what? There are plenty of others out there to be had. Knowing this will make you much more relaxed and care free.