Being Single During Coronavirus: The Ups and Downs of COVID Life

Being single is lonely, freeing, and sometimes confusing, but being single during coronavirus has its own set of ups and downs.

I know all about singlehood. I’ve written plenty of articles about it. It has its good times and bad just like anything else. But, during the coronavirus pandemic, being single is weirder than usual. I mean, everything is new and different right now, but being single during coronavirus is just strange.

How so? Well, if you are single during coronavirus, you get it.

You don’t have to worry about a significant other getting sick or going to work. You don’t have to take a relationship and turn it into a long distance one because you’re quarantining. And you don’t need to turn your living room into a home office for you and your partner.

Pretty much you aren’t dealing with all the things couples are right now. But, you may very well be more lonely than ever.

[Read: A guide to dating after COVID: A new normal]

Being single during coronavirus

Nights out with friends, visiting family, and just seeing your coworkers is on hold. This means almost all your socialization has ceased. Sure you may not be butting heads with your partner, but you also have a lot of time with yourself.

At first, being single during coronavirus may have felt like a relief, especially if you’re an introvert. You may have relished in staying home with your list of books to read. But now that you’ve read all the books, watched all the shows, got ahead on work, and did a DIY project, you’re probably craving some sort of human connection.

And that is totally normal. It isn’t healthy for us to be closed off from everyone we hold dear. The lack of human contact can do a lot of damage to your psyche. Of course, that is still the safe choice. Staying home and quarantining is best for everyone’s physical health, but mental health is important too.

[Read: How to stay connected while social distancing and avoid loneliness]

Video chatting with friends and family and even have socially distanced get-togethers is great. But, knowing that you’re going home to yourself can be hard when there is no end in sight.

The ups and downs of being single during coronavirus

Even if you were initially happy to take a break from dating when quarantine began, being single during the several long months of the coronavirus pandemic would be hard on anyone. With the lack of human interaction, you may be craving a real old-fashioned date more than ever.

Unfortunately, old-fashioned dating is still a risk. So, until we get the go-ahead to resume some pre-coronavirus activities I’d recommend appreciating the fact that you’re single during coronavirus. And yes, I’d say the same to someone who isn’t single.

[Read: Are you suffering from isolation and cabin fever? Here’s how to fix it]

Look at the ups and downs of being single during coronavirus. Appreciate the good things. And change what you can about the bad.

#1 Feeling lonely. This is one of the things about being single that is always a struggle. But, it really is all about how you think about it. Just because you are romantically alone doesn’t mean you’re lonely. You can feel lonely even when you’re in a relationship.

Being single during coronavirus does give you more time to feel lonely though. Without seeing friends and family, the loneliness can get to you. To fight this, make dates to video chat with the people you would normally see.

Play games with friends or surprise each other with a dinner from a local restaurant to be delivered. Just because you can’t see each other in person doesn’t mean you have to be alone. [Read: How to survive and thrive living alone during the coronavirus pandemic]

#2 Having time to yourself. I know this seems like I’m rewording being alone into something more pleasant and that’s because I am. Being single during coronavirus, you may not have made the most of your time.

You may have spent time at home doing errands or taking care of things. Instead, take care of you. Do things you truly enjoy. Get back into an old hobby you didn’t have time for, cook from scratch, or have a pamper night.

#3 Wanting to date. It sucks when you actually want to date but can’t because of quarantine. Even considering dating right now is confusing. What would it even look like?

Well, that is up to you and whomever you potentially date. You may not be able to date how you’re used to but you can see what works for you. This is a time to experiment with how you meet people. It is also a time to get to know people more than you maybe would have when you could go on exciting dates. [Read: The best virtual first date ideas to really get to know each other during COVID]

#4 No fighting. I’m sure you’ve heard of the COVID divorce. It has swept its way through a number of celebrity couples and plenty of everyday couples as well. Being in such close quarters with someone you maybe saw six hours a day before is daunting. This tension can lead to fighting or even breakups in relationships that were already struggling.

Thankfully, being single during coronavirus ensures you won’t have to go through a life-changing loss during an already incredibly difficult time. [Read: The dreaded COVID divorce – What is it and why is it trending?]

#5 Online dating. If you weren’t into online dating before, coronavirus may have pushed you into it. Seeing that it is really the only way to meet new people during this time, even if just virtually. Online dating comes with an abundance of complaints. There is ghosting, catfishing, and tons of other issues to deal with. And if you’re new to online dating, you know the extra hurdles to jump just to make a simple connection.

#6 Online dating… again. Yes, online dating is both a good and a bad part of being single during coronavirus. Sure, it has its faults, but it has also led to a ton of happy relationships, mine included. The uptick in online dating during quarantine is more than 25% across platforms.

This means there are more options. And online dating now versus before all of this is more fluid. Because meeting is unlikely, you have every reason to take things slow. You can get to know each other on a different level than if you could meet just a few days after chatting.

#7 Too much time to think. For those over-thinkers out there, welcome, but also, sorry. When you are home alone, all you do is think. You have time to overanalyze flirty texts, what you did in grade school, and why you might be single.

All of this is to be expected, but it isn’t useful. All this does is stress you out and make being alone even harder. It can be healthy to think about things and reassess when you have the time to do so, but that will only get you so far. [Read: How to stop overthinking and find more peace]

#8 A new way of dating. Online dating isn’t anything new, but continuously dating online is. Usually, online dating leads to meeting within a few days or weeks. Now you may be getting into a serious relationship with someone you video chat with.

I know it sounds bonkers but I have heard many people thank this pandemic for opening their eyes to people and opportunities they never would have considered before.

[Read: 10 annoyingly common misconceptions about dating]

Being single during coronavirus has its bad parts, but it doesn’t have to be all bad.

The post Being Single During Coronavirus: The Ups and Downs of COVID Life is the original content of LovePanky - Your Guide to Better Love and Relationships.