There is no doubt that the last few years have seen dating trends move through a decidedly technical phase with more people turning to dating apps to find love.

However, it appears the tide is turning with a rise in the numbers  of people turning their dating apps off and rediscovering their social skills. Is it time to get offline and focus on meeting people in real life? What are the different ways of meeting a potential new partner? We asked some of our friends and colleagues about how they met people offline and the results are revealing…

 

Through a Friend

“Meeting a partner through a friend is the best way to establish a date because you already have common ground with one another. I met my partner through one of my really good friends. I’d recently split with my previous boyfriend and was at a loose end so started going out on a more regular basis with her circle of friends. We got chatting and the rest is history”.  Debbie.

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Corporate

They say that you shouldn’t mix business with pleasure as the combination can lead to disastrous consequences. Yet, on occasion striking a relationship up with a co-worker can create the perfect recipe for an office romance that really can be the cherry on top of the corporate cake.
“I dated my co-worker who sat across from me in the office. We both started at the same time and so we used this as an excuse to talk to one another over the office chat system every day. As time progressed we began to meet for lunch and talk more outside of work. We realized we had so much in common.” Lewis

 

Coincidence

It may feel like a vague expression to use when explaining to like-minded singles that “the right person will come around at the right time”, but, maybe this saying does hold some valid truth?
“Dating apps are 100% useless; boys use them to pass the time and to meet girls for one reason. I’m a firm believer in that one day you’ll just bump into someone and that will be it…I was riding my horse down the road one day and fell off, a man in his car got out and helped me up, we exchanged numbers and a couple of weeks later we went to the zoo because it was just as random as we met…” Aysha

 

Volunteering Abroad

“Volunteering abroad is the best way to meet likeminded people, as they are going through the same experience as you are. I was teaching English at a Primary School in Ghana when I met my partner. We were talking every day at school and both teaching the same subject. I remember thinking that he was so friendly and such a good guy.” Rosie.

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Team Sports

Ever fancied trying your hand at Lacrosse or Basketball where your team skills are put to the test?
A time where you can naturally put your mobile phone aside to focus on building new relationships whilst developing your confidence. If you’re looking for love, the playing field might just be your best bet…
“I was part of a social volleyball team whilst I was working in Bermuda for three years. We needed a mixed team to enter the league and we couldn’t find many female players. We were on the beach practicing one day and there was this girl sat near to the court, drinking a beer with her friend. I approached her to ask whether she wouldn’t mind playing and she was keen to chip in. We played four games and won all of them. Afterwards, we went to the pub to celebrate, we started seeing each other on a more regular basis and a few years later decided to move back to the UK together.” David.

 

But, what do the experts say about all of this?

Relationship counsellor, Dr Kathrine Bejanyan, says: “Getting out in the real world and meeting people will improve so much more than your love life. It can improve your general happiness, as too much time on our smartphones can damage our mental health and can turn into a dangerous addiction. Online dating and messaging apps have given rise to all sorts of dating trends. Ghosting, bread crumbing, cuffing and they’re all damaging to one, both, or sometimes even more people involved. It’s easy to enter into the mindset of ‘that person was okay, but if I just swipe a little more…’. Fifty years ago, we didn’t have that option. We made it work with Johnny from down the street, or we stayed single.”

This article was written by Holly Barry @HJBarry

Image credits: www.123rf.com.

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