Mercury in Retrograde Is Officially Sabotaging Your Dating Life

Are you one of those people that when the stars are not aligned, neither are your matches? Well, Mercury was just in retrograde and could be to blame for your lack of a cosmic love connection. For those of you not familiar with that astrological reference, Mercury being in retrograde basically means the planetary cosmos have an evil plot to make your life go crazy and everything that can go wrong will. While this is a serious bummer, the good news is that right now is the “shadow period” of reflection (the two week period post-retrograde), so now is a better time than ever to start swiping.

Popular dating app, Tinder saw 4 million matches during Mercury’s last retrograde (April 9 – May 3) — more than a 20 percent increase from the December retrograde! Some of the top cities where the stars aligned the most were New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and Houston.

Here are some tips from Tinder’s Sociologist Dr. Jess Carbino on how to attract potential matches for the next time Mercury is in retrograde this summer so you can be on you're "A" game.

How to attract potential matches when you’re not feeling your best:

1. INVEST IN YOURSELF. One of the great things about online dating is that you can schedule a date whenever you’re feeling like your best self. Your matches don't know that you had a bad hair day or that the spot on your blouse is from your pasta lunch. However, those things can impact your confidence. I recommend a little bit of self-love before worrying about your matches since that’s most important. Go on a run, treat yourself to quick blow out or even, have a pampering session at a spa — do whatever it takes to give you that extra confidence boost!
2. START A CONVERSATION. If you aren’t sure how to best connect with a Tinder match, a great way to spark a conversation is to ask questions. Everyone wants to know that the person they’re talking to is invested in getting to know them, so this is the best way to show interest. Over 60 percent of Tinder users say that they want prospective matches to signal investment through questions and comments about their photos. My rule of thumb is to lead with one of these approaches to truly engage them and get the conversation going.
3. FACE FORWARD IN YOUR PHOTOGRAPHS. By facing forward in your photographs, you signal that you're open and trustworthy (yes, being able to see your eyes actually tells your matches that you are honest, so ditch the shades). You are 20 percent more likely to be swiped right on by facing for forward on your pictures.
4. SHOW PHOTOGRAPHS OF YOU DOING SOMETHING THAT YOUR'E PASSIONATE ABOUT. Within your Tinder profile, include photographs of you doing something you love. For example, consider that Insta-worthy picture of you hiking in Yosemite — your natural effervescence will show and make you more attractive to a potential match. Don’t be afraid to show your personality!
5. HAVE FUN. Dating can be an exciting and unpredictable experience! Each new match can bring something different and interesting to your life — maybe they share a delicious recipe with you, take you to a restaurant you’ve never tried, teach you a new word or even end up being the love of your life. You never know what can happen, so make sure you’re positive and open to having a good time.