How to Start Dating After Lockdown

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During this whole pandemic, nothing has hit us harder than the loss of our social lives. I particularly feel for the younger people who may have been looking for a relationship or just starting out on one. So, what is dating after lockdown going to look like?

Dating After LocKdown

All my relationships were formed without the aide of an online dating site. Yes, I have signed up to them and have been on the edge of meeting someone a couple of times, but there was always a feeling of cold feet on either one side or the other!

Of course, the immediate future of dating is going to look very different as lockdown starts to life and people are able to resume some semi-normality. So, what is the future of forming a relationship now we are all trying to come out of isolation?

I Just Video-Called To say…

We can no longer rush headlong into forming any sort of relationship, especially a romantic one. Slow and steady really does win the race as far as this is concerned.

A pre-date is always a good idea so it may be an idea to set up a video call. This is the best way for both sides – especially if you are not ready to meet them in person just yet.

You could even look at this as a sociable meeting with no-strings attached. It could be an opportunity to see if you share the same interests and whether the conversation flows easily between you. It will also help both of you get your dating confidence back after months of staying away from the social scene.

If you have never had a video call before then this is a great time to get into practice. The quickest way to grow your confidence is to put yourself outside your comfort zone and you may even find you love it!

Free Online Dating Sites

In days gone by, they seemed a bit of joke but I think that dating sites are even more important than ever. I know a few people who have met their partners through online dating and have gone on to have a successful marriage with that person.

Free dating sites are out there and will take the pressure off your purse. With the economy on the downturn, sites such as welovedates.com will help keeping your romantic socialising alive without damaging your bank balance.

It isn’t just on-screen chemistry

As well as video calling, there is still good old-fashioned audio phone calls. To ensure you don’t need to give out your number, there is an app called Bumble which means you don’t need to make that exchange and run the risk of the other person to continue contacting you when you have decided not to pursue a relationship.

There are a number of pluses to this situation including the fact that you do not have to make sure you look at your best so lockdown hair and your unicorn pyjamas are totally acceptable! Also, you will be able to go with more of a gut-feeling as this blind date is a great way of assessing the personality of the other person before taking things further.

The new Dating Etiquette

Some people will understandably be more nervous than others about ‘getting back out there’ and, as a result we may see a more ethical style of dating. Getting back to the good old days!

Clean dating will be the way forward. Ensuring that you have your hand sanitiser readily available and a mutual understanding of waiting longer before starting anything physical in any shape or form.

Eye contact and body language will become even more important for you to assess how you are both feeling and the ‘exclusivity’ talk will make an earlier appearance as people ensure you are not putting their health and safety at risk by seeing multiple people.

Stay Positive in the Right Way

I believe that the lockdown will have a long term affect on dating for the better. It may have given people the opportunity to think about what they really want from a relationship and generate more open and honest conversations, resulting in a happier life partnership.