How to Cope With Being Single or in a Long-Distance Relationship During the Pandemic

Being single can be amazing. You can spend time discovering yourself and enjoy having no one to answer to. Your time is your own, and you can socialize as much as you want. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has recently put single people in a unique position – one that can be extremely difficult to cope with.

Although being single can be fun, it’s not always easy to meet people. Singles often rely on social events, trips with friends, or free hookup sites to make romantic connections. With social distancing and stay-at-home orders in place during the coronavirus pandemic, none of this has been possible.

This lack of social contact for those who live alone or who are single can be extremely stressful. Loneliness is detrimental to our health and can be devastating for our mental state over a prolonged period of time. Lockdown has also put a strain on long-distance couples who live apart and who have been unable to travel to see each other.

If you’ve been struggling to cope with one of these situations, you’re not alone! Even if you’re used to being single and happy, recent events may have become a real strain. Here are some tips on how to cope with being single in the age of corona!

How to Deal With Being Single During the Pandemic

It’s probably not something any of us ever thought we’d need to learn to deal with – but here we are! Whether you’re single by choice or looking for love and facing the fear of being single forever, there are some things you can do. Here’s our guide to dealing with being single in the pandemic:

• Connect With Friends

Even if you can’t be with your friends physically, it’s important to be able to reach out when you feel alone. When you live alone and are fully accustomed to the art of being single, you may not be in the habit of deliberately approaching people. In normal life, you possibly enjoy being alone or can always find things to do when you get bored or lonely. However, in lockdown, the days can start to blend into one and, if you live alone, you may feel your mental health start to suffer.

Though it is tempting to retreat more from the world when you feel down, you should try to resist this urge. Even if the thought of another Zoom call sounds draining, making an effort will usually pay off. Arranging regular check-in dates with friends can also help you keep track of each other and identify anyone who might be struggling. If you live somewhere that walks or outdoor meetings are allowed, try to make time to connect and work in some social outings.

• Try Virtual Dating

Virtual dating is all the rage now, from digital Netflix and chill nights to online tours of exhibitions, museums, and foreign cities. If you loved dating before and feel depressed about being single, there’s no reason not to try it. You can use online dating sites to arrange virtual dinner dates with strangers or ask friends to set you up.

Virtual dating also takes away a lot of the distractions that we have in our day-to-day life. The pandemic has forced us all to slow down, and we have more time to talk and get to know our dates. Although this can feel awkward at first, it can also be a great opportunity to get to know someone on a deeper level.

• Develop a Healthy, Self-Care Routine

One of the benefits of being single is that you have plenty of time to focus on yourself. Although this can feel lonely, it can be extremely useful, especially in tough times. Being single means that you don’t also have to carry someone else’s baggage through the pandemic. This can make processing big life changes easier and can allow you to progress.

However, when you are alone a lot, it’s vital that you show yourself love and care. A healthy pandemic self-care routine should involve nutritious food and regular exercises. This will give you a boost physically and let you feel that you are doing something positive for yourself. Some gentle, relaxing yoga might be just the thing for this. Or you could try cooking some new healthy recipes to give yourself a treat.

• Evaluate How You Feel

The pandemic has given us time to think and evaluate our lives. Although it has not come about in the most pleasant way, some people have found this a blessing in disguise. Maybe you’ve realized you hate your job, or you don’t spend enough time with family. The pandemic has put things in perspective in a new way for many people.

This is also true if you’re single. You may finally have the time – far away from the whirlwind of normal dating – to evaluate how you feel. Do you enjoy being single? Or are you desperate to find love? If your feelings border on desperation, why is that? Is there a way you can learn how to accept being single or boost your own self-esteem? The chances are that you wouldn’t be asking important questions like this if it wasn’t for COVID. Embrace this opportunity as a chance to get to know yourself better.

How to Deal With Long-Distance Relationships During the Pandemic

Long-distance relationships are always tricky at the best of times. It takes a strong couple to survive one. Here are a few tricks to consider if you’re living through the pandemic as long-distance lovers:

• Keep up Communication

Checking in regularly when you live long-distance is obviously important. However, it’s easy to get apathetic about this, especially during the lockdown. After all, neither of you is doing anything exciting to tell the other about, and you may not know when you will see each other again.

Scheduling a regular check-in time that you stick to is a good way to keep communication lines open. You might find that you just stare at each other on Zoom without knowing what to say, but that’s alright. Without regular contact, it can be hard to maintain any form of intimacy, so checking in is important.

• Be Understanding

If your partner is bored, stressed, or depressed, try to be understanding. This is a frustrating situation for many reasons beyond relationship problems. They may be facing uncertainty at work or be worried about family members. Try to offer support and listen when they want to vent – and ask them to return the favor.

• Be Honest About How You Feel

If you are struggling to find things to talk about or feeling a loss of connection during the lockdown, try to explain this to your partner. There are pros and cons to being single, and one of them is not having to explain yourself like this. However, if your relationship is important to you, it’s worth being honest. Your partner might feel hurt at first, but once you are on the same page, you can take steps to bring back your connection.

Conclusion

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed our lives in various ways. Whether you’re wondering how to enjoy being single in lockdown or if your relationship survives, you’re not alone. Remember, reaching out to friends and taking good care of yourself can help!

Final Call: Are you alone during this lockdown? How have you coped with that? Have you ended up separated from your partner? How has this affected your relationship? Share your stories in the comments!