Here’s How To Handle It When Your Date Flakes On Your Plans

Getting ready for a date is a lot of work. You want to look and feel your best so for most people, it involves an entire process. You shower, do your hair, maybe your makeup, and then find the perfect outfit. And if you don't have a process, it's still a lot of effort because you have to actually put on pants to leave the house!

That's why when someone flakes on your plans it can be tough to deal with and leave you feeling disappointed. How you handle this happening could make or break the relationship going forward. Here's what you should do.

The most important thing to remember when someone cancels a date is: don't take it personally. Life happens and they might've had a legitimate reason! It's important to listen, be kind, and be empathetic. You'd want them to understand if it was the other way around.

It's also worth noting that you should be thankful they even told you at all. In today's day and age, ghosting is a common and unfortunately normalized thing. Appreciate that they let you know, be polite and show you understand. This leaves the door open for a future date.

If you're still interested and want a future date, put it out there! A great way to reply is to say "perhaps we can reschedule when works best for you?" It shows you're still interested and puts the ball back in their court. If they're eager to see you, they'll hit you up again. If not, they're not worth your time and energy anyways.

Obviously, getting ditched is upsetting and you're allowed to be angry about it. However, try to cool off and keep calm. Don't be passive-aggressive about it because it just looks childish. If you are worked up, try to take some time before responding in anger.

Playing a little bit hard to get never hurt anyone, so take back the power in the dynamic. If they try to reschedule, try saying you have plans but that you'll see if you can make room for them in your schedule. It will make you seem more mysterious and less desperate.

You never want to get taken advantage of so try having a three-strike rule. It's one thing to give people a second chance, but if they flake more than twice they're taking you for a ride.

If this is repeat behavior from them, it's also okay to let them have it. If you've simply had enough, let them know exactly how you feel. Tell them their actions hurt you and flat out ask them to do better in the future. Maybe they don't even realize what they're doing is wrong.

The number one thing to remember when this happens is don't let it get you down. At the end of the day, their flakiness has nothing to do with you. It's their loss, not yours. Focus on loving yourself because nobody has time for someone who doesn't respect their time.