*This is a collaborative guest post
No matter who you are, 2020 has been rough. Some people are directly dealing with personal tragedy. Others are suffering from major financial fallout. The rest are trying to simply cope with a new normal that feels nothing at all like normal.
Then there are those people who are still looking for Mr. or Mrs. Right. Being single can be stressful at any time, and that burden is only magnified now in a year when so many of us have been forced to spend so much time at home — potentially alone.
There’s definitely no easy way to start a relationship in an era like this. There are, however, a few things to keep in mind and tips that might be able to help you. In particular, the following three tips for finding the right person should help make things a bit easier.
1. Embrace the Virtual Dating World
Corporate meetings, tailgate parties and weddings have gone online this year — and Zoom, Microsoft Teams and other popular video conferencing options have made it easy. Sure, this may work great for certain things, but can it really serve a useful purpose in creating chemistry? Probably not in full.
But, luckily, the dating world has already gone digital in many ways. From Tinder and OKCupid to Bumble and Hinge, most people have tried at least one of these dating apps. So, look on the bright side: Imagine if this happened in the 1990s — when none of this technology was in place. At least we’re not still living in the stone age.
If digital is all you have, try to make it work. You can definitely meet new people. You can chat, and now is the time to try some video dates. Maybe it’s just a bottle of wine and conversation. Perhaps you could try dinner. Or, as things advance, maybe even co-watch a movie from afar. It won’t be the same, but it’s at least something; after all, many people have forged strong, real, lasting bonds with less.
2. Take Things Slow
Some romances are tumultuous, rapid affairs. You meet someone special, and in a matter of weeks, things have already rapidly progressed. Now you’re spending every day together.
Such a scenario is pretty unlikely right now, but that doesn’t have to be a bad thing, though. Indeed, some of the best relationships are built slowly over time. When this is the expectation, you can truly get to know one another in a more personal, intimate manner. In other words, you can learn a lot about someone when you know the possibility of meeting up every few days likely isn’t in the cards.
Still, some in-person together time is usually necessary, so try to find ways to meet up in a safe, public space to which you both agree. After all, it’ll be difficult to know if you have any chemistry with this potential partner without doing so.
At the same time, try to enjoy some long phone or video calls or extended text messaging to really get to know someone. If you end up getting bored and it feels like more effort than you want to put in, it probably wasn’t worth it anyway.
3. Bolster Your Self-Confidence
If you know in-person encounters will be fewer and farther between, then you’ll want any on your calendar to count. This means not wasting your time on anyone who seems like a long shot to click with you. It also means you want to be in your best state of mind any time you’re getting to know someone early on.
What’s the best mentality to have? Confidence. Nothing else will allow you to present the best version of yourself. While there are a variety of strategies and tips to bolster your self-confidence, clothing is one great option. And it isn’t only about what everyone can see.
For women who want to spice things up a bit, try wearing the perfect lingerie or garter set. Now, this isn’t necessarily about what you might be thinking. It could be as the relationship advances! But even early on, wearing something sleek, sexy and flattering will give you that extra oomph that can help create the right mood and proper state of mind.
Dating in the World of COVID-19
These days, everything is kind of a bummer. Still, you can always find new, creative ways to get back into the dating game. If you do it right — and adopt the right mentality — you may very well find your “person.” Either way, what do you have to lose?
Embrace the digital world, use this time as an opportunity to take things slow, and find creative ways to make encounters count by conjuring up all your confidence beforehand.
You know what they say about New York: If you can make it here, you can make it anywhere. Well, take that to heart this year when it comes to dating. It may seem impossible right now, but if you can pull it off in this environment, chances are you’re actually finding something real.