6 Practical Tips For Dating Safely During The Coronavirus Outbreak
You don't have to give up dating during COVID-19.
getty Dating is hard enough on its own, but when it comes to dating during coronavirus lockdown and quarantine, that gives you many more hurdles to jump.
There are also a lot of new dating safety issues that you've never had to deal with before. In short, it's an unprecedented experience to try and find love right now.
During the '80s, people were faced with HIV and AIDS. It was not uncommon to have multiple relationships and numerous sex partners.
I can recall the panic that swept through when so many people realized the implications and consequences of promiscuous behavior. Everyone freaked out, including me! Guidelines to protect people were created during that time, too.
People had to understand the importance of safe sex. Protecting yourself became paramount to engaging between the sheets. Self-preservation trumped achieving great orgasms.
Well, here we are again! In these precarious times, you have to consider the consequences of dating as they did in the 1980s.
Self-preservation, mindfulness, consciousness, common sense, and thoughtfulness are essential in the time of COVID-19.
Just as you have been given guidelines for your health, you need strategies and recommendations for dating, too.
Dating during the COVID-19 pandemic can be a risky business. But it doesn’t have to be.
Here are 6 practical tips for dating safely during the coronavirus outbreak.
1. Stay physically apart with anyone unknown.
Just as we learned to ask for testing results for HIV and AIDS before beginning a relationship, it follows suit that if you are going to date someone new, stay physically apart until this virus passes.
Meeting in real life can be something you look forward to!
2. Use technology to communicate.
This can have advantages over a face-to-face meeting for the first time and going forward. You don’t have to dress to the nines, worry about your hair, makeup, or nails and spend time fretting about what to wear.
Guys don’t have to worry about out-of-pocket dating expenses incurred when using email, texting, the telephone, FaceTime, or Skype.
3. Rely on phone or video calls — not texting.
Texting is the most brilliant way to misinterpret and misunderstand what your new sweetie is trying to say.
In fact, any other medium can enhance the beginning of a potential relationship without wishing you made a tragic mistake and spending time trying to figure out how to escape!
Additionally, you have a better opportunity to get to know your date just by having conversations without worrying about your age, weight, height, or mannerisms.
It’s best to be honest on the phone — and on your dating profile — so that when the virus pandemic calms down, you can meet up and be confident when you see your person for the first time.
4. Practice safe sex, even with a trusted partner.
If you've been dating the same person over time and your relationship has moved into the bedroom, it's still wise to consider the possible consequences.
Until you're certain that neither of you has contracted the virus, practice social distancing and all the other recommendations made by the CDC, WHO, and medical experts.
In order to take this caveat out of the equation, both of you should be tested before going between the sheets.
If you've moved in with your new partner, then you should have been practicing the rules and guidelines recommended from the onset. Both married and couples living together who have stayed at home as prescribed by the experts will have no issue.
5. Remember: Dating during coronavirus is temporary.
It's not always going to be like this. It's time to learn patience, self-discipline, self-protection, and what really matters.
If your date has the same concerns as you, they will be worth the wait. If they don't, you haven’t lost anything. Find someone who does!
6. Don’t be afraid to speak your truth.
Say what you mean and mean what you say. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain.
They will respect you for the courage of your convictions. If they don’t, move on. The writing is always on the wall. If the red flags are there, it's time to say "good riddance."
It’s important to use the cognitive part of your brain — the part that asks, “Is it logical and reasonable?” If you do, you'll practice safe dating.
If you capitulate to your heart, emotions, or genitals, you may have serious consequences. Connection developed the old-fashioned way will not only keep you safe but will build intimacy in ways you have never experienced.
Intimacy begins with language. Learn the language of your partner before you learn their astrological sign or what they do for a living. Listen with a third ear. See beyond their dress style or whether they are wearing Prada shoes.
Joan E Childs, LCSW is a renowned psychotherapist, inspirational speaker, and author of "I HATE THE MAN I LOVE: A Conscious Relationship is Your Key to Success" to be released October 11, 2020. To learn more about how Encounter-Centered Couples Therapy can renew and restore your relationship, contact her here!