I broke up with my boyfriend a month before the official lockdown happened in the UK, so I have experienced the pandemic as a single woman. I have always struggled with the concept of dating, but dating during a global pandemic was even harder than usual. I tried a lot of ways to date - chatting on Tinder, doing some video dates, and I even went on an in-person date once the lockdown was lifted.
Photo created using Canva by Rahael Klemen
Now don’t get me wrong - I love dating. I love meeting new people, discussing various topics, hearing other people’s perspectives, but I mostly love going out for food, drinks, cinema, or various classes. That’s why dating in a global pandemic was a struggle for me - just talking to someone doesn’t do it. I guess dating is just one of my hobbies.
So you can imagine that the lack of dating resulted in boredom, loneliness, and sadness during lockdown. I’m a social being, and not being able to go out and do normal stuff was very hard for me. I wished I had a boy in my life that I could talk to; but without physical contact, I just could not connect with any boys. I’m not even talking about sex, but chatting online is so much more different from talking to someone in-person.
However, I did some exploring and it turns out that there’s a lot of women whose dating lives actually bloomed in the pandemic. Online dating was a big thing with Tinder seeing a spike in users during the lockdown. A lot of women continued their dating lives as usual through Zoom, FaceTime, Netflix Party, and online Pictionary. Some women I spoke to even met their knight on Whitehorse during the pandemic! So ladies, if you’re struggling like me - there’s always hope! (Not that you need anyone on a white horse to survive the pandemic.)
The girls who dated throughout the pandemic have given a few tips – remember to physically distance, follow government guidelines, don’t worry about peer pressure, and it’s absolutely fine if you don’t feel comfortable with physical contact. They have also advised keeping an eye on online dating - sometimes, there are “various creeps creeping” on such apps.
For more tips on how to stay safe when online dating, check these tips.
Photo by Edward Jenner from Pexels
Whether you’re single, in a relationship, dating, or struggling to date in the pandemic - loving yourself is the most important thing when it comes to dating. I've struggled with the concept, so throughout the past few months, I decided to date myself. Have a bath, a glass of bubbles, read a book or watch a great movie with a strong female lead. Head over to Letsfuckingdate for more tips on dating, self-love and a weekly Instagram Live dating show.
Remember to love yourselves and stay safe, ladies!
By Rahael Klemen
Display image courtesy of Canva
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