Dating is hard enough. Dating during a global pandemic, where you can’t leave your house - and when you do, you need to socially distance yourself as much as possible? That’s even more challenging. We have some tips on creative dating strategies during the coronavirus pandemic.

SET UP A PHONE OR VIDEO DATE
You don’t have to endlessly text back and forth with a potential date just because you can’t meet in person. There are other ways to get to know them - why not set up a phone or video date? Even in “normal” times, we strongly recommend having brief phone conversations with a potential date before you meet up. These phone calls can be15 minutes (or even less!), and they give you a good sense of your back-and-forth dynamic. If it goes well, you can always extend the time or schedule a follow up date.

Video dates should not feel like a scheduled work call. Set the date up for when you’d normally be on a date, ideally during the evening or on a weekend. Dress up (at least from the waist-up!), and pour yourself your favorite drink. We’ve seen some daters take this even further and “pay” for the other person’s drink via Venmo, or send a bottle of wine to the other person if they are comfortable sharing their address. Our Co-Founder, Maggie, actually had her first date with her now-husband over video - and he even sent her a bottle of white wine for her to drink on the date!

Video dates are also a great opportunity to share more about your experiences and interests. Remember that whatever is behind you will also show up on screen, whether that is a favorite piece of art or your bookshelf. Ask your date the story behind the artwork, or to share some of their favorite books from their bookshelf.

ATTEND AN EVENT TOGETHER
Many gyms, yoga studios, and musicians are hosting live virtual events including meditation sessions, yoga classes, and concerts. Some examples of live virutal events are below:

Our friends at Stone Soup are hosting a variety of immersive virtual experiences, such as open mic night, music & art experiences, reading parties, and more. You can see all their upcoming events here
Insomniac’s Beyond Wonderland Virtual Rave-A-Thon, hosted on YouTube and Twitch
Barry’s Bootcamp is hosting 20-minute bodyweight workouts on Instagram, Equinox is hosting daily meditations, and 305 Fitness is hosting cardio dance live streams on YouTube. You can find more live workouts here
Many museums such as the Louvre and Guggenheim are offering virtual tours. You can check them out here
The Metropolitan Opera is streaming operas nightly
Many religious institutions are offering live streaming of their services
You can also search on Eventbrite for a variety of webinars and other virtual meetups

MEET UP VIRTUALLY
If you really want to meet up, you can do so in a virtual world (with or without a virtual reality headset). We aren’t quite in the world of Ready Player One, but there are a number of virtual locations like Second Life where your avatar can go on a date.

WATCH A MOVIE TOGETHER
If you’re just looking to kick back and Netflix and chill, you can even watch a movie together. This is as simple as choosing the same movie to watch and pressing “start” at the same time, or by using a platform like Netflix Party to sync your viewing.

Remember - just because you can’t meet up physically doesn’t mean you have to put a pause on your dating life. There are so many ways to get to know someone without meeting them. Just think - if the Love is Blind daters can do it (and they couldn’t even see the other person!), so can you.