Prepping for a First Date

First dates can be nerve-wracking. It's easy to psych yourself out, or question whether you'll have a good time or if he'll be attracted to you. While you might try to solve this by obsessing over what pants to wear or how to style your hair, do yourself a favor and step back for a second.

Instead of talking yourself through the date - what you'll wear or say or do - try instead to distract yourself. It's easier to go with the flow and be truly present on a date when you're not obsessing over whether or not you'll like him or he'll like you.

Following are some tips to help you better prepare for a first date - by not thinking about it:

Make pre-date plans. If you're meeting him for a drink, ask your friend to stop by an art gallery or go to a comedy club beforehand. Pick something that you find interesting. You'll be distracted by the event and getting to hang out with your friend. And you'll also have something interesting to talk about on your date.

Be productive at work. If you have a date in the evening, make sure you take on that to do list during the day. The more tasks you complete, the less distracted you'll be on the date and the better you'll feel about not answering your cell phone or sending your boss a text. There's nothing more attractive to a date than your undivided attention.

Plan the weekend anyway. If you're going out on a Wednesday night, make plans with your friends for the following Friday and Saturday nights, so you have something to look forward to regardless of how the date goes. I've seen too many women reserve their weekends in the hopes of things going amazingly well on that first date. Don't fall into this trap. If your date is amazing, then you can make more plans - after the date.

Exercise. For me, hiking and biking are great ways to de-stress and helped me to release those pre-date anxieties. When your body moves, it releases stress and helps you to relax. So run around your neighborhood or lift some weights to get your mind off your date.

Listen to music. When you're getting ready, the last thing you need is a silent house where your mind can race. This is a great time to crank up the volume on your iTunes or Pandora account. Music releases stress and helps put you in a good, relaxed mood in time for your date.