For most quarterlifers, dating isn’t an altogether comfortable experience even under “normal” circumstances. However, when you add in the need to screen your date for health and safety precautions, it can get downright awkward. That’s right. We’re talking dating in a COVID world.
If you’re someone with an active dating life, you may have been one of the pioneers of how to date when you can’t meet up with someone the day after you message them on a dating app. Or if you’re just considering a date after six months in quarantine, then you’re not alone! This is new territory for everyone, and it’s difficult to figure out how to navigate it.
Nothing about a global pandemic or dating is easy. Here are three ways that dating is especially challenging during this time and how you can circumvent these obstacles with grace and humor.
1. What type of date is on the table?
When you date in a pandemic, you can’t just offer any idea for a date and expect your prospective partner to be on board. For most people, it’ll come down to three options.
- Virtual
- Socially distanced with masks
- Socially distanced without masks
Virtual dates are all some people are interested in or looking for right now. They may have a family member who is immunocompromised, or they may just want to stay super safe (nothing wrong with that!). If you’re looking for something with more in-person contact, then you should establish that in the first few messages. While you may narrow down your pool a bit more, you won’t waste any time, and it’ll ultimately be less frustrating.
2. What is everyone comfortable with?
Above we mentioned the final two types of dates: socially distanced with and without masks. When it comes to these dates, it gets into a bit more of the nitty-gritty of how your date may be approaching COVID in their own life.
Overall, most people find dating in masks a little strange. When you’re around people you’re trying to get to know or who you trust, you automatically want to take off your masks (regardless of what you know about their recent contact). However, this can be difficult for people who have different risks related to the pandemic or are constantly around vulnerable people in their personal or professional life.
Before you meet up with your date, tell the other what you’re comfortable with (mask or no mask!). If you’re not okay going on a date with someone unless you’re both wearing masks, don’t be afraid to share that. Your date should want you to feel comfortable, especially if you’re just getting to know each other and wouldn’t have been in each other’s “bubbles” previously.
You should also be open to discussing exactly what you are doing on these dates. While getting drinks or going to a restaurant is often a go-to date, it’s not the most comfortable experience for many right now. Opt for a picnic with takeout or a hike instead. These are socially distant and cut crowds out of the equation.
COVID often brings a lot of judgment from both sides – those who are cautious and those who are a little bit more adventurous. Having a conversation about what you’re comfortable with is an important part of getting to know each other in this day and age and navigating those early stages of a relationship.
3. How will your relationship progress even with the unknowns?
Let’s say you start off with virtual dates – wearing your pajamas, chatting, playing games, watching movies remotely, or being even more creative. How do you see your relationship progressing? At what point would you deem it okay to meet and to introduce the other into your “bubble”? For some, the answer may be weeks or months from the time you begin talking. For others, it may be a matter of a screening process and knowing that a person is indeed careful in their spare time.
Nonetheless, discussing this is important because it ensures you have the same end goal and understanding from the start.
Final thoughts
No one said dating was easy and attempting to date during a pandemic adds several more layers of complication. If you’re looking for love, try using these three tips to help navigate the inevitable challenges that come along with COVID. And remember, this is new and difficult for everyone involved.
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