With the spread of Covid-19 or coronavirus, the words "social distancing," "isolation," and "quarantine" have swallowed up every aspect of our lives—physically, socially, and financially. The irony of our new solitary lifestyle is that not one of us has been untouched by this dreadful virus. Now when I take a walk around my neighborhood by myself or with a member of my immediate family, everyone just seems a little kinder. The recognition that we're all in this together has become a unifying aspect of our lives. From six feet away, that is. 

Physical isolation vs. social isolation.

There's a catch, though: with all of this physical isolation, we need to be careful not to retreat socially. For singles, especially those who live alone, this may prove even more tricky, which is why I don't want you to isolate yourself in every sense of the word. But before I elaborate, let me clarify my position: physical isolation is a necessary sacrifice we all must make. Listen to the recommendations and regulations of your local as well as federal governments. In a purely physical sense, you should practice social distancing, meaning that you should not go out unless strictly necessary. Period. 

Still, boredom remains an underrated source of anguish for many. We often believe, in our typically busy lives, that we crave free time, but many people keep themselves busy as a coping mechanism, especially for loneliness. If we're too busy to ruminate over our demons, we never have to confront our problems. Coronavirus has temporarily robbed us of that coping mechanism. Now, all we can do is our best to busy ourselves by reading and working from home. But here's the problem with boredom; it's unavoidable, like, ultimately, our problems.

Social isolation and loneliness work in a positive feedback loop. And by positive, I don't mean in a good way. I mean positive in that they reinforce each other. Here's how it goes: As a result of physical isolation, you inadvertently socially isolate because reaching out takes effort, which you've never before had to make. Over time, you become depressed because of the lack of interaction, whereupon you withdraw further, leaving you feeling even more lonely and depressed than you did before. It's a messy and terrible situation, with more and more people facing such a downward spiral every day. Fortunately, it doesn't have to be this way.

Face your loneliness head-on. 

Thanks to online dating, singles don't have to isolate themselves socially. If you're not in a relationship but wanting to meet someone, now's the perfect time to face your loneliness head-on and set up that online dating profile you've been putting off creating. Time's on your side: you're at home with a lot less to do and an opportunity to craft the perfect profile, find the best lighting to take a dazzling selfie, and "get out there" (figuratively, not literally, of course). That way, when the pandemic eventually ends—and it will—you'll already be in communication with one or a few romantic prospects and ready to take the world by storm.

The best news is you won't be the only one digitizing your dating life. As I already stated, we're all in this together. Millions of singles like you are currently at home, facing the same challenges, and resolving them by getting a jumpstart on their dating lives even though they cannot go on a date. Hey, that's what FaceTime is for, isn't it?. When they do eventually get out of physical isolation, they, too, hope to have a new face waiting for them. What if that face was yours? Straight from the mouth of a professional matchmaker, I'm here to tell you it can be. All you need to do is get online—alone but not lonely.