Dating is stressful enough without having to deal with a date who has mood swings. Keep in mind, however, that people have ups and downs; a moody date shouldn’t necessarily make or break your time together. If you are patient and self-aware, you can help your date move past his or her mood swings.

First, ask your date if anything is wrong. This should always be your first line of action: If you know the context, you can help guide the conversation or give words of encouragement. Hopefully, your date will tell you what’s wrong. However, if they don’t, try not to press the subject. They may just need time and space to deal with their emotions.

Keep the conversation moving and ask pointed questions about your date’s life, passions and history. If you can keep your date engaged, they will have less of a chance to dwell on their negative mood or feelings. Respond to your date’s questions not only verbally but with your body language, whether by moving forward or nodding your head.

Allow for some silences. If your date is experiencing a mood swing, they may need some quiet moments in order to move past it. Don’t let the whole date take place without conversation, but be sure that you aren’t babbling just to fill space. You want to entertain your date and to cheer them up, not to annoy them.

Keep your tone positive, and don’t let them allow their negativity to affect you. When one person is in a bad mood, it’s easy to fall into the Debbie Downer Complain-A-Thon. Instead, take a big breath and keep our tone level and be sure to smile. Your positivity might just rub off on your date.