When it came to dating in LA, it’s probably fair to say that working from home really didn’t have any upsides during the pandemic. For some people, it actually did have a few silver linings. Many rediscovered the importance of connection with those who mean most to them. Lots used the swathes of free time foisted upon us to forge new interests or nurture old ones. And these benefits were facilitated by the brand-new lifestyle of working from home: Without a commute, we could spend more time making those connections, finding those interests.

But for those wanting to date in LA, there was no possibility of meeting someone, so online dating quickly grew stale and dull. When we could finally meet it was socially distanced for a long time, meaning intimacy was off the cards.

And what’s more, the majority of us who didn’t work from home prior to the pandemic were deprived of one of our greatest sources of new people, both potential friends and potential love interests: the office. So it’s little surprise that at the start of the pandemic, Match Group—which owns literally dozens of dating apps, including Tinder, Hinge, and OkCupid—reported an 11% increase in average subscribers from Q1 2020 to Q2.

Lockdown and WFH may have appeared overnight, but your dating woes probably didn’t

All this being said, in reality the pandemic simply exacerbated the issues inevitable in an increasingly atomized society. Even just a few months into Covid, almost half of Americans reported that dating was harder than it had been a decade ago—during which time dating apps had become the main way to find love in the U.S. But we all know that dating apps are notoriously impersonal, so being stuck in our homes for months on end contributed to the decline of their popularity for a time. And when you realize that millennials are delaying marriage (or forgoing it entirely) and having less sex than previous generations (along with Gen Zees), it all starts to add up that working from home could spell disaster for some in the romance stakes.

But working from home need not halt you in your dating tracks! All you need to do is think outside the box and muster a little motivation. All those single professionals looking for love didn’t go anywhere—you just need to know where to look. So next time you’re working from bed in your sweats and wondering whether you’ll ever be intimate with another human being again, heed these words: Get up, throw on your best going out outfit, and put together a plan of action:

1) Make online dating work for you

So let’s get this one out of the way first. Despite what I said above, there is of course still a place for online dating—millions of happily coupled and married people around the world would attest to that! Online dating is efficient if not organic—so as long as you bear that in mind, you can use it to your advantage.

The key is to not allow your time to be wasted by anyone who doesn’t meet your criteria and seem like a fantastic person, the kind of person worth your time. Grant yourself the respect you deserve, and you can up your odds of meeting a fellow work-from-homer who’s in the same position as you: ready for some real-world romance once more.

2) Take up a hobby!

Now we’re allowed back out to resume our lives, it’s time to carpe diem. Rather than hoping an unending queue of hot single professionals will form at your door simply by dint of your being eager and available, home in on activities that are organic—but not necessarily efficient. (So the polar opposite of online dating.) Go to places where you know you’ll meet like-minded individuals. Having common interests doesn’t mean you’ll have common values, but it can certainly increase your chances of finding someone you’d love to spend your time with.

Moreover, we’ve all been guilty of losing any semblance of a work–life balance since transitioning to work-from-home. So simply getting out, doing things, and meeting new people can be all you need to invigorate your life and put you in a more positive mindset for dating when you do encounter someone promising.

3) Run errands—even if you don’t really need to

That letter you’ve been meaning to post for two weeks now? Go buy a damn envelope and shove it in a mailbox. That new cafe that just opened five blocks away? Visit that fine establishment and sit with a cappuccino en route to get your groceries. Doing something productive, no matter how small, feels good—and that positivity will then emanate from you, draw strangers in your direction, and open up your invisible boundaries for interesting people who pass by.

4) Reconnect and do more with your friends

What are friends, when you stop and think about it? They’re the people who know you best, foibles and all. They’re the people who love you as you are, value your time, want to be around you. And who are their friends? Chances are, people with similar values and interests to you! So get proactive in spending more time with your nearest and dearest, not only for the good of your mental health and social life, but also to boost your odds of meeting a sexy and similarly minded individual in one of their milieus.

5) Give matchmaking a try

Every one of our dating situations is different, and there are only so many hours in a day. Perhaps your career is skyrocketing, and right now you simply don’t have time to meet people who aren’t definitely a great fit. Or maybe you made the most of working from home and moved to your dream location to work remotely, but are now struggling to meet people. No matter your circumstances, there’s one alternative that truly can work for everyone: matchmaking.

Maclynn International is a boutique, multi-award-winning introductions agency with offices in L.A., New York, New Jersey, California, and London. Working with your own dedicated matchmaker, you’ll meet a number of highly compatible singles—eligible professionals who share your interests, your values, your aspirations—within our vast network of attractive, intelligent professionals. Get in touch today!