Lifestyle

Research Shows 5 Ways to Improve your Online Dating Profile to Maximise Success

Published

5 years ago

January 31, 2020

When it comes to online dating, your profile is a crucial player in the ball game. It is the start point for any potential match. It is the first glance at you from afar, just as it would be if you were out and about in a real life dating situation.

Of course, one glance and a caption of information can’t fully represent any of us to any deeper extent. But it is the calling card of who we are, and it can be a fantastic place to begin.

Thankfully, there are many different easy and applicable ways that you can take control of things to significantly improve your dating profile.

From flattering profile photo choices to impactful captions, anyone and everyone (including you) can share the best of who you are easily and effectively. So let’s get started, to get you the connections you deserve!

Here is your 5 step guide to online dating success on whichever free dating app or website you choose to use:

Here are 7 easy ways to instantly boost your dating profile success potential – and every pointer is one you can action today!

1) Make sure it’s the right app for you. Looking for casual dating? You might want to try a simple match connection app such as Tinder, Bumble or PoF. Want something more specific? Perhaps try one of the many free dating apps that fit a niche, such as Uniform Dating (for those working in the services) or Vegansk (for plant based daters). In the same way you head out to the shops that you know will sell the products you like, the same goes for romantic online dating. Apply this simple rule and you’ll save yourself a whole lot of time – valuable time that could be better spent meeting someone you really connect with!

2) Ask a friend for a review. Our friends often are the best judge of what’s right for us. They also know us better than we might know ourselves, and are therefore a great source of outsider perspective. Take a screenshot of your profile pages or copy and paste your captions and send them to a trusted friend or two for their opinions. You might be surprised at their suggestions! They could prove to be an invaluable guide in your quest to creating as profile that best represents you. Let them cherry pick the best parts of who you are to share with the online dating world. Stay open minded, and try not to take any offence at what they tell you. Remember, the purpose of the exercise is to help you meet people that will suit you. Your friends already love you for who you are, so they are a great source of guidance in this area.

3) Say cheese! No, not the cheesy lines. We’re talking all things photographic! You don’t need to hire a photographer to get the images you need in order to show yourself in the best light, unless you want to. But you do need a set of recent and well lit photographs that show you off at your very best. If you don’t have any images that are suitable then grab a friend and a camera! Take a fun few hours to experiment with angles in your favourite park. Feel self conscious? Take some at home, or in your garden! Make sure you’re feeling relaxed and comfortable and that you’re wearing something similar to what you might wear on your first date. Oh, and while we are here….no filters.

4) Avoid negativity at all costs. We’ve all seen profiles that bear the statement ‘don’t waste my time’ or the classic ‘if you aren’t interested in something serious, then don’t bother me’. Unattractive, right? It might be tempting to write something like this after a string of date disasters but try resist. It will only make you look like negative person. Perhaps even a little aggressive. Neither is an attractive quality! You don’t know what your potential date might be attracted to and you might actually be ruling yourself out by being misleading on your profile. Be clear about who you are and what you’re about from the offset and you’ll avoid unwanted misunderstandings later down the line.

5) Cut clues, add clarity. Multiple person photos, or ‘hint’ facts about who you are simply won’t work. No one wants their dating endeavours to feel like part-time detective work, so don’t cultivate that in your profile. Even if your friend is the ‘looker’ and you think you’re being smart by alluding to the fact it might be him! Just don’t do it. No one likes an unwelcome surprise! Plus, you don’t know what your potential dates will be attracted to and you might actually be ruling yourself out by confusing them. Be clear about who you are and what you’re about from the offset and you’ll avoid unwanted misunderstandings later down the line.

There is no perfected recipe for dating success, unfortunately. But using these techniques will hugely improve your chances of meeting some incredible people – and to help them to find you, too!

Every journey starts with a single step – and your online dating profile is that important first step. Dating is an individual process. Enjoy it for what it is and always stay positive and open minded.

Which brings me to something I wanted to share. I recently ran across a 100 percent free dating site called Free.Date and I kind of love it. Most free dating sites are not really free but this one is.

Just remember that there are people out there who can’t wait to meet you. So start refining those online dating profiles and start enjoying your online dating life!

Lifestyle

The Missing Piece in Self-Help? Why This Book is Changing the Wellness Game

Published

18 hours ago

June 29, 2025

Michelle Langton

Self-help shelves are full of advice — some of it helpful, some of it recycled, and most of it focused on “mindset.” But Rebecca Kase, LCSW and founder of the Trauma Therapist Institute, is offering something different: a science-backed, body-first approach that explains why so many people feel struck, overwhelmed, or burned out — and what they can actually do about it.

A seasoned therapist and business leader, Kase has spent nearly two decades teaching others how to navigate life through the lens of the nervous system. Her newest book, “The Polyvagal Solution,” set to release in May 2025, aims to shake up the wellness space by shifting the focus away from willpower and onto biology. If success has felt out of reach — or if healing has always seemed like a vague concept — this book may be the missing link.

A new way to understand stress and healing

At the heart of Kase’s approach is polyvagal theory, a neuroscience-based framework that helps explain how our bodies respond to safety and threat. Developed by Dr. Stephen Porges, polyvagal theory has transformed the way many therapists understand trauma, but Kase is bringing this knowledge to a much wider audience.

“The body always tells the truth,” Kase says. “If you’re anxious, exhausted, or always in overdrive, your nervous system is asking for support, not more discipline.”

“The Polyvagal Solution” makes this complex theory digestible and actionable. Instead of promising quick fixes, Kase offers strategies for regulating the nervous system over time, including breathwork, movement, boundaries, and daily practices that better align with how the human body functions. It’s less about pushing through discomfort and more about learning to tune in to what the body needs.

From clinical expertise to business insight

What sets Kase apart isn’t just her deep understanding of trauma but how she blends that knowledge with real-world experience as a business owner and leader. As the founder of the Trauma Therapist Institute, she scaled her work into a thriving company, all while staying rooted in the values she teaches.

Kase has coached therapists, executives, and entrepreneurs who struggle with burnout, anxiety, or feeling disconnected from their work. Regardless of who she works with, though, her message remains consistent: the problem isn’t always mindset — it’s often regulation.

“Success that drains you isn’t success. It’s survival mode in disguise,” Kase explains. Her coaching programs go beyond traditional leadership training by teaching high achievers how to calm their nervous systems, enabling them to lead from a grounded place, not just grit.

Making the science personal

For all her clinical knowledge, Kase keeps things human. Her work doesn’t sound like a lecture but rather like a conversation with someone who gets it. That’s because she’s been through it herself: the long hours as a therapist, the emotional toll of supporting others, the realities of building a business while managing her own well-being.

That lived experience informs everything she does. Whether she’s speaking on stage, running a retreat, or sharing an anecdote on her podcast, Kase has a way of weaving humor and honesty into even the heaviest topics. Her ability to balance evidence-based practice with practical advice is part of what makes her voice so compelling.

Kase’s previous book, “Polyvagal-Informed EMDR,” earned respect from clinicians across the country. But “The Polyvagal Solution” reaches beyond the therapy community to anyone ready to understand how their body is shaping their behavior and how to create real, sustainable change.

Why this message matters

We’re in a moment where burnout is common and overwhelm feels normal. People are looking for answers, but many of the tools out there don’t address the deeper cause of those feelings.

That’s where Kase’s work lands differently. Instead of telling people to “think positive” or “try harder,” she teaches them how to regulate their own biology. And in doing so, she opens the door for deeper connection, better decision-making, and more energy for the things that matter.

As more workplaces begin to embrace trauma-informed leadership, more individuals are seeking solutions that go beyond talk therapy and motivational content. Kase meets that need with clarity, compassion, and a toolkit rooted in both science and humanity.

A grounded approach to lasting change

What makes “The Polyvagal Solution” stand out is its realism. It doesn’t ask readers to overhaul their lives but instead asks them to listen — to pay attention to how their bodies feel, how their stress patterns manifest, and how even small shifts in awareness can lead to significant results over time. Whether you’re a therapist, a team leader, or someone trying to feel more at ease in your own skin, this book offers a way forward that feels both grounded and achievable.

Rebecca Kase isn’t just adding another title to the self-help genre. She’s redefining it by reminding us that we don’t have to muscle our way through life. We just have to learn how to work with, not against, ourselves.

And maybe that’s the real game-changer we’ve been waiting for.