3 Awesome Remote Dating Ideas

We've said it before and we'll say it again.

Dating in the time of COVID is hard. Really hard. 

How is one supposed to meet a potential love interest, spend significant time with that other person and meet their friends, family, coworkers, pets, when you are supposed to stay 6 feet away from each other? 

Unfortunately, dating in the time of COVID is quite different and hard to find ways to move forward normally. Many of us have taken a step back and are waiting to jump back into the dating pool when the time is right.

The good news? Dating during COVID can still be done, and done rather well! 

Decide on a time, place and platform. 

Time and platform are easy, but place is a little more tricky. You might be asking, "place? I can Zoom date from my living room just like work!". While this is true, you should use the opportunity to use some creativity, or at least get yourself in the right headspace. 

You might take a chance and see if you can conduct your date from a favorite location (be sure to check your connectivity beforehand - nothing worse than no-showing). Depending on the time of day, your favorite community park or overlook might be a great option to show your date a bit more about you. 

If you can't get out of the house, don't approach your date like a boring Zoom meeting! Get out of your sweats, get your head in the zone, and get excited! You might take a walk or exercise before your date, just to build some anticipation. Your date will appreciate it!

Do something unique and different! 

You might use your first date to learn a bit more about your prospective love interest, but if you're in the mood for something more adventurous, you might be able to throw an interesting spin on the evening. For instance, if you are a fan of cooking, you might use the opportunity to cook "together" - either the same meal at the same time, or cook your favorite meal while your date cooks theirs (as long as the cooking times are relatively close to each other). It's a great opportunity to learn more about the other person's passions and tastes. 

If you're not much of a cook, you can order out for delivery (dudes, might be a good idea to pick up the tab. Chivalry isn't completely dead after all!). If you really want to switch it up, pick each other's meals - you may want to wait on this one to learn more about each other though. 

Honesty is once again the best policy

We've all become a great deal better at video conferencing over this pandemic, but that being said, so much of what makes dating great is body language. Unfortunately, video chatting doesn't always convey body language well, so in this case, honesty is the best policy. 

Firstly, make sure you have a good camera/microphone setup, and feel free to share more of your upper body, as this will help ensure strong verbal/visual communication. 

Secondly, and more importantly to be a great Zoom/Facetime/etc dating participant, you have to be a great communicator. Feel more free to express how you truly feel, as a great deal of the communication that would come through as a result of body language could potentially be missing. Use active listening techniques to ensure the other party knows they have been heard and understood. 

Above all, get out there, meet new people (virtually), and have fun. 

Dating isn't always the most fun process, and COVID does add a certain challenge to the process. That being said, if you open yourself up to sharing yourself and truly learning about a potential partner, you really can have fun and meet new people. Don't overthink it, just say a prayer and dive in!