It may feel like your dating life is majorly on hold during the Covid-19 pandemic. And you’re right- in many ways it is! Meeting a guy in person and spending time together is so important as you decide if you want to move forward. It’s okay to be bummed about pausing that part of the dating process.

However! You can still be proactive in your dating life in other ways.

What if you used these next few weeks to prepare for a full summer of meeting lots of new people? What could you do now at home to be ready to go once this whole thing simmers down?

Here are some suggestions to get you thinking!

• Research a new class or activity you want to try out. Do you need to purchase any supplies or equipment? When can you register?

• Put effort and time into having a healthy thought life in regards to dating- How’s your mindset towards dating? Hopeful? Hopeless? What thoughts cross your mind when you imagine going on a date or getting set up on a blind date? What are your thoughts like when you’re talking to a guy you’re attracted to? How do you feel and think when you pray about dating? Notice those thoughts, evaluate if they’re healthy or not, and actively work to replace harmful thoughts with truth and grace. This may also be a great time to do virtual counseling with a licensed therapist.

• Pray! Lord, will you give me wisdom for my dating life? What would be a good next step? I feel stuck, Lord! Help! Will you give me creative ideas for how to meet new people? Will you provide opportunities for me to date? 

• Plan a couple summer events that will build community and provide an opportunity for your friends to bring along new people. You may not be able to set the date and time yet, but you can plan other details! This can be fun to do with your roommates or other friends. Jump on FaceTime and get to party planning! 

• Preach the Gospel to yourself when the wait is long and you want to remember that God is good and always faithful.

• Work out so you can feel comfortable in and grateful for the body you have.

• Plan your next trip to somewhere amazing! Again, you may not be able to nail down the exact dates and book travel or hotels, but you can daydream, research, and create a tentative itinerary.

• Curate a fun summer capsule wardrobe so you’ll have outfits you feel confident and cute in for summer parties, hangouts, and dates. Figure out what works from your current closet and fill in with new purchases of items you need. Don’t forget shoes and accessories!

• Message friends about possible set ups. They can take some time before a date actually happens, so why not start now?

• Encourage other friends in their dating lives. Looking outward often gives us a better perspective on our own situations.

• Use this time as an intentional rest from dating. You have lots of other good things going on in your heart and life. Choose rest so you’ll be ready to move toward your desire for dating and marriage in a couple months.

• And I know you already know this, but keep building your beautiful life. Singleness can be abundant and full of joy if you choose to make it so. There will be grief, of course. Acknowledging and feeling the sadness is part of what makes the joy possible. But even when the loneliness and wait feel heavy, there can still be abundance. You can choose to cultivate beauty and growth in your home, friendships, work, and heart. This will bless you now and in any future relationship. Win-win.

A proactive dating life does not come to a complete halt when obstacles arise. It pivots and makes the most of what you can do, rather than fixating on what isn’t possible right now.

May the Lord help you discern what would be wise for your situation in the weeks ahead!