So, we’re finally allowed out in the real world again. Swiping left and right isn’t the only way to date anymore and we can satisfy our craving for human interaction. But wait. How do we even be decent human beings without five minutes to write the perfect response? We’ve forgotten what it’s like to have a conversation in real-time with someone of the same sex, let alone a woman you’re crushing over hard.

Approaching women doesn’t have to be complicated. Believe it or not, women pride themselves on being approachable. They’re incredibly social creatures (and have a thing for the latest gossip).

They don’t want you to sweat buckets at just the idea of wanting to speak to them, but we know some of you will anyway. So in case that didn’t convince you, we’ve put together 10 ways to approach women in the real world to put you at ease.

1. Read the room

Like anything else, timing is key when approaching women. You should observe what she’s doing (in a non-creepy way) to see whether she’d be open to holding a conversation. If she’s on a heated phone call or in a rush, speaking to you will be the last thing on her mind.

If you’ve caught her off guard she won’t have time to process you’re the type of guy she’d normally notice first, or even hang around a little longer in hope that you might get a chance to speak. You’ll be the annoying guy that rudely interrupted a work crisis or made her miss the train for dinner with an out-of-town friend that she now has to wait an hour for.

Even if you’ve got time to try and make up for it, you’d have started off on the wrong foot, and coming back from it will be hard. Save yourself the ball ache and approach women who seem relaxed. They’re way more likely to engage in a conversation with you and exchange contact information which is ultimately the goal.