Whether you are single, keen to meet someone and be about and about meeting people now it’s the spring time or whether you have met someone just before the lockdown – how do you navigate this time with everyone staying at home and not being able to meet and date face to face the way dating has traditionally been done?
1 Get online. Keeping the dating opportunities flowing in has never been easier with the many dating websites and apps available. After all, online is the best place to meet someone right now, meeting someone in a bar or a party isn’t really an option. Many of my clients too have mentioned more activity on dating apps with people responding faster than normal.
2 Be proactive online. One of the great things about dating from home is that you get to take things slowly… You can message each other and date & get to know each other properly, the old fashioned way. And then when you are ready to meet people, go on some online dates. The apps make it pretty easy, Bumble, the app where women make the first move, has a ‘video chat’ feature built into platform. Hinge also encourages people to ‘date from home’ using phone calls and video chats, with a ready to date from home button you can switch on to let the other person know you are ready to date online.
3 Make an effort. Dress the way you would dress if you were going on a date. Some people have asked ‘can I wear a smart top and a pyjama bottom?’ And I say no, put on a proper outfit, dress the way you would dress if you were going on a date, have a shower, wash your hair and dress up. Put on makeup, put on perfume i.e. do everything you would do for a normal date – it’s also part of getting in the mood for a date right? It’s not even about trying to look good for your date, it’s about just trying to look good for yourself. Make sure the lighting works too, the camera is set at the right angle and the other person can see you.
4 Do something together. The trick seems to be having something to do. Recreate social norms, do try things like having a coffee or a virtual happy hour, with a glass of wine or a cocktail if you prefer. One of my clients went on an online date were they both ordered takeout and then had a meal together online…
5 Don’t be too serious. The world is quite a serious place right now – to counteract it keep the call as positive as possible. Be playful, think beforehand of a few fun questions you can ask i.e. 'What is the most fun thing you've done during lockdown?' You can always put the world to rights later on when you know each other better.
Enjoy the Dating!