Q: Dear Yente: as lockdown restrictions end I’m ready to start dating again. But I’m out of practice! Have you got any tips to help me?
A: It’s been around two months since lockdown rules began lifting and I can confirm singletons have (thankfully) said goodbye to virtual dates and park walks. No more risk of seeing my grandma’s friends in the park, or dodgy internet connections that kill off any potential spark. Dating in real life is back and I hear through the grapevine that meet- cutes are on the rise, although we do still rate the dating apps and hear of many successes.
While some have fallen in love during the pandemic; others have fallen out of love; and then there are those who have spent some time learning to love themselves and preparing for the reawakening of the dating scene. The dating landscape has changed, and if you’ve taken a break from dating during Covid-19 you may need a dating refresher. Questions are being raised like: how do we date post lockdown? Is kissing with masks on an actual thing?
For those who are feeling a little rusty or perhaps slightly anxious, know that these feelings are totally normal and I’ve got some tips that will help you take the leap back into the dating pool.
Take your sweet time
First things first, if you’re not feeling ready to date yet don’t let the pressure of those dating around you get the better of you. Being single during the summer season is way more fun, so if you’re banking on a hot girl or hot boy summer vibe then go for it. Oh, and if your great aunt is questioning your single life, send her my number and I’ll have a word!
Sanitise your dating profile
Our hands are not the only thing we should be sanitising. Update your profile with some fresh photos and some honest info. If there is a picture of you at the Full Moon party in Thailand, potential suitors know it’s at least two years old and we aren’t interested in seeing you then. We want to see you now. Get your friends involved if you need some witty prompts to show off the best version of yourself.
Mask up
You’ve locked in a date and you arrive in your mask. Personally, I’m a fan of disposable masks but if you’re into the floral fabric ones that works too. If this is a dating app first date then I won’t lie, the masks add to the difficulty of sussing out who you are meeting which isn’t easy at the best of times but it adds another layer to the dating game (quite literally). And it can be a useful deterrent to over-enthusiastic early kissers.
Goodbye to the pandemic chit chat
We all baked banana bread and completed Netflix so try not to go down the path of ‘how was your lockdown?’ or the cringe worthy, ‘what vaccine have you had?’. The end of the pandemic is in sight and I don’t know about you, but I go on a date to get to know the person I’m meeting. This isn’t to say you should avoid the elephant in the room but just try to limit the Covid-19 chat. Ultimately, you’ll know when you’re feeling ready to head back out on to the dating scene.
A wise woman recently told me that when it comes to meeting your soulmate, timing is everything. It isn’t a race and just remember, somewhere in the world right now two people are having their very last first date and one day that’ll be you.
Aimee Belchak dreamed up her own matchmaking business, The A-gency, in
lockdown. She sets up London based Jewish singles aged 22-36 years old on
blind dates every month. Aimee has her own podcast, Yente Tells All and she’s on Instagram @AimeeBelchak. Send her your questions at aimee@thea-gency.uk
