A partner does not just come your way. Now that there are one and a half meter distance and masks regulations active, the chance that you will “bump” into someone has become a lot smaller. You are expected to work from home and to stay at home as much as possible. But how to safely date during corona? Read on for some practical tips!

Use your network

Use your network (friends, acquaintances and family) and let them know that you are looking for a date. You are certainly not the only one that’s single. Letting people around you know that you are open to a date also increases the chance that someone will arrange something for you. I recently helped two friends to a date because they let me know they were open to it!

Dating apps

There are many apps that can help you meet new people. Now even more convenient because you can have access to many people, but still be remote! However, this also makes it difficult; with all those dating apps and potential partners, how do you make sure you find the right one? Here are some tips to get you started:

• Check out the differences between the apps. For example, you currently have Fruitz, Tinder, Happ’n and Bumble. You can deal with this efficiently by first checking which app suits what you are looking for.
• First, think of what you are looking for. Think about the things that are important to you. For example, if you value that someone does not smoke, you can already filter out a number of partners. It can be a process of discovering what you find attractive and what you think is important, but remember that you will naturally become more skilled at this!
• Talk to your matches to see if you feel a connection. Just like in a “real” conversation, you will quickly notice via chat whether you have a connection or not. By talking to several different matches, you will automatically experience who you have more or less a click with. If you find yourself having a nice conversation, you can decide to call each other or to have a video call. On the other hand, if you do not feel a connection or notice that you do not feel like staying in touch, you should let your match know a.s.a.p. and continue your search for a suitable date!
• Ask the right questions. According to psychologist Arthur Aron, there is a way to quickly build an intimate bond with each other by asking these 36 questions.

Meeting up during Corona

The measures that apply to protect us from Corona are aimed at having as little contact with each other as possible. An efficient preliminary process in dating is therefore even more important! Do you have contact with someone who you would still like to meet for a date in person? Then I would like to give you some tips for corona proof dating!

• Take a walk and get a coffee to go somewhere. When the weather is nice you can also have a picnic in the park.
• Take turns eating at each other’s places or organize a surprise dinner. You can make it extra fun by dressing up, setting up a nice table, lighting the candles and putting flowers on the table. Just like a date in an actual restaurant!
• Order food from a good restaurant. And of course I do not mean a kebab from the first option on Thuisbezorgd. Nowadays there are many possibilities to assemble a restaurant level dinner yourself (on the basis of instructions and prepared portions)! This is a really nice activity to do together and you will still be able to go ‘out for dinner’ at home.

I hope these tips have given you some inspiration on how you can keep on dating during corona. Stay safe!