Tag Archives: Valentine’s Day

Flirting: the first step on your romantic journey

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Written by Jean Smith, flirting expert and social anthropologist

People are looking for love and romance in their lives, but are often stuck on how to get it. Being proactive, getting out there, meeting people and being open is much more effective than sitting back and waiting for the man or woman or your dreams to sweep you off your feet. Ok, so you’re out there – now what? Flirt!

Here are 10 scientifically proven ways to meet your partner and find love.

1) Make a good first impression. Studies have shown it takes only a few seconds to make a first impression. Upon first meeting us, people pick up clues about us both consciously and subconsciously. They only know what we tell them, so project yourself in the way you’d like to be perceived. Follow these tips and techniques to make sure yours is a good one!

2) Be confident. People are attracted to confidence. The good news is that even if you are not feeling confident on the inside, you can always fake it on the outside the outside by standing tall with your head held high. Soon, these physiological indicators for confidence might just make you believe it yourself.

3) Like yourself. If, as the most important person in your world, you don’t like yourself, how can you expect anyone else to?

4) Smile. Smiles are easy to give and powerful to receive. Even when they are fake, the action of smiling produces oxytocin in the brain, promoting feelings of happiness. Besides, everyone looks more approachable, and like someone we would like to be around, when they smile.

5) Eye Contact. It is the most powerful flirting tool. In my research, it was the number one sign that made people understand when someone was flirting. The glances were more frequent, more intense, and lasted for longer. Women take note: it takes the average guy three looks before he begins to understand your interest.

6) Touch. When used appropriately, touch can be very effective in flirting. As a general rule, shoulders and higher up on the arm are considered ‘safe’ areas, as we move down the arm towards the hand, touch becomes more intimate. A light tap on the hand might be the perfect flirting tool for you to try.

7) Don’t be so quick to judge potential partners. Yes, looks are important, but how often have you started speaking with someone you weren’t initially attracted to, and they became a Greek god, before your very eyes! There is more to you than just your looks, just as there is more to others’ than their outside shell. Find out what is on the inside before you make your decision.

8) We all like to be feel special. It’s not all about you! Change your ‘me’ centred world to one of ‘other’ and feel the pressure and self-consciousness melt away. Make the other person your first priority. Focus less on yourself and how you are feeling and put your attention on the other person.

9) Take the ‘reject’ out of rejection. Rejection isn’t about you, it’s about the situation of the other person. Maybe they are tired, married, or you’re just not their type. The good news is that you are a million other people’s type … so go flirt with them!

10) Flirting is fun! Don’t look at flirting as something you are forced to do – flirting is a fun way to pass the time. Keep in light, fun, and pressure free. The only losers are those who don’t try…

About the author: Jean Smith aims to empower individuals in her personal one-on-one coaching sessions and public Flirtology Seminars, as well as Jean’s Flirting and Walking Tours of London. Both the personal coaching and the events combine Jean’s extensive knowledge of human behaviour and interaction with confidence-building and social skill acquisition techniques.

Kissing Frogs on V Day?

70.8% of men and 67.9% of women would actually kiss a frog if it meant they’d find true love. Well the good news is you don’t have to. Not when you can find your true love on Zoosk.

We wish you love and luck in your search for a Valentine. <3 Happy Zoosking!

Zoosk on Facebook | Zoosk on Twitter | Zoosk on YouTube

Last Minute Valentine’s Day Gifts: Go Big Without Going Broke

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If you just started dating, it’s often the best idea to avoid overdoing it on Valentine’s Day. Going to get – or cooking – a somewhat nice dinner is more than enough commemoration as your relationship picks up momentum.

However, for longer-running relationships, Valentine’s Day is the best chance you get to tell your partner exactly how much you care. So that’s why it’s never too early to start planning and saving for that amazing gift.

The perfect gift is a romantic getaway to a place that means something special to you both. It’s hard to go wrong with pretty much any trip destination. Just sharing the experience of being in a new and exciting place and getting away from your regular routine will be enough to hit all the right notes.

Trips, however, are the jewel-studded Rolls Royces of gifts. You’ll easily wind up throwing hundred dollar bills at a steady stream of restaurants and tourist traps while traveling – not to mention the hotel, gas and/or flights. And if you haven’t planned one yet, you’ll need to get clever!

So how do you stoke all those adoring feelings without any of the credit card debt? By being the world’s best listener!

Remember them mentioning something in passing? How they’ve always wanted to try pottery or play guitar? A class or ‘experience’ is a surprisingly affordable way to open your partner’s world to something entirely new. They learn, grow and fulfill their lifelong dream – all thanks to you!

Still want to tone it down a little? Consider making your gift! Zoosk’s Valentine’s Day survey proves it’s a winning idea. It’s a fact that an item that cost you almost nothing but time and thought to create will get all the same brownie points with much less research and expense.

Think about printing out and scrap-booking all your photos together or, if you have a special skill, like knitting, DJing or drawing – now’s the time to milk it for all it’s worth. If not – a special dinner, mixtape or even a poem are things anyone can do and are sure to delight.

Think we left something out? Share YOUR gifts ideas in our comments section!

Happy Valentine’s Day from Zoosk

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Another February 14th is now just around the corner and it seems there’s just as many ways to celebrate the holiday as they are numbers of unique couples looking for that perfect romantic idea. Always at the forefront of dating and romance trends, Zoosk conducted surveys around the world to see how Zooskers felt about Valentine’s Day.

In the U.S., it seemed that men were better off ditching the chocolates and flowers, with women preferring something more personal and unique. 58% of women said flowers and chocolates are “too cliché” and that they prefer a Valentine’s Day gift that involves more thought.

American ladies were also big fans of Valentine’s Day cards, with 65% of women saying the love the sappy Valentine’s Day staples. Of course, more than half of American men said ‘save your money’.

In Britain, Zoosk’s survey revealed that Brits prefer a cozy night in or cook dinner with their partner rather than splashing the cash on a night out on the 14th. A fifth (20%) of people will stay in, saying they can still have fun without spending a penny and just over about a third (30%) will be cooking dinner with their perfect partner.

Australia agreed with the idea to keep Valentine’s low key. Almost 92% of those surveyed said they would be happy to receive a card and chocolates, which they saw as a thoughtful gift, and nearly 72% of respondents believed that less is more and gifts should be kept low key.

To get even more insight into the different ways couples plan to celebrate the special day, we interviewed some San Francisco couples about their recipes for romance. Check out this video and let us know your big plans in the comment section!


 

 

Valentine’s Day With Zoosk Never Tasted So Sweet!

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In addition to offering the entire Zoosk community free premium membership on February 13 and 14, Zoosk opened its doors to over 200 people from the Bay Area’s tech community and the Zoosk community as well for Zoosk Lunch 2.0.

Friday the 13th may be unlucky for some, but the winks and flirts that we saw at Zoosk’s Lunch 2.0 on Friday put this superstition to rest faster than the speed of cupid’s arrow. (Cupid was also kind enough to make an appearance)

Zoosk Date CardsDescribed by many who attended as a “new kind of Lunch 2.0″, we perpetuated the Valentine’s Day theme by bringing the virtual trademark of Zoosk, the Date Card, to life as an actual Date Card that attendees could wear. Exchanging stickers to decorate the date card that were marked as flirts and winks, as well as reading the creative ways people chose to describe themselves, was an immediate ice breaker.

The goal was to be able to turn in your date card for a box of See’s Valentine’s chocolate by collecting at least 6 flirt or wink stickers. We found that by the end of the lunch it wasn’t even necessary to have chocolate as an incentive. In fact, thoughts of bon bons had been wiped from our memory as the crowd started dancing with the DJ! Networking, flirting, food, beer, and dancing…truly not bad ways to spend a lunch break!

This year The New York Times recently noted a National Retail Federation Survey that predicted that average consumer spending on Valentine’s Day would be lower than the two previous years. Zoosk knows that online resources provide cheaper alternatives that don’t cheapen the romance. Even the free-access social networking site, Facebook, is calling out its activity in matchmaking, highlighting Zoosk as an effective way to find a date for V-day!

Aaah Valentine’s Day with Zoosk, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways…