Finding local singles in your area has never been more complicated. Everyone has different interests, schedules, and availability. But complicated doesn’t mean impossible.
It’s still more than possible to meet local singles in your community if you put in a bit of effort.
If you’re hoping to meet local single people like you, try out one of these suggestions!
Put yourself out there
It sounds a bit counter-intuitive to say it, but the best way to get started in the search for someone special is to work on yourself.
Read more: 8 Habits to Form When You’re Single That Will Prepare You for Marriage
It’s easy to fall into a routine, to go to the same comfort-zone places and talk to the same people that you can easily be yourself with.
But most of us don’t immediately have the confidence to “put ourselves out there” into the unknown, uncomfortable waters where those other people we’re interested in happen to be.
Most likely, it won’t be fun or easy to meet people if you’re not first making an effort to improve your own confidence.
This might mean taking an honest look at yourself to identify trouble areas that are holding you back from a healthy self-confidence.
Once you’ve taken this honest look and come up with a plan to work on the areas holding you back, then it’s time to reach out into those exciting unknown waters.
If you’re out of practice reaching out like this, it’s okay. The more you do it, the easier it will be.
Struggle initially to start the kinds of conversations that will help you connect? Don’t worry. Try asking other people about themselves. Even a light and breezy topic like what they do for a living or how many siblings they have can do the trick.
Even if you feel like you’re back in freshman year of college trying to get to know your new roommate, it’s okay. Once you get into the habit of putting yourself out there and starting conversations, it won’t be so intimidating anymore.
Connect with your family and friends
When we think about the task of finding local singles like us, we overlook what can be a huge asset in this search: our family and friends.
Most of us already have a large network of people we know near us. While they aren’t people we could date, they are people who know people we could date.
Read more: Here Are the Four People You Need Around You When You’re Single
Establishing a good relationship with our family members and circle of friends can be helpful in general for a single, to ward off loneliness and have a healthy social life. But it can be additionally helpful in searching for local singles to connect with.
The key is to be open and specific with family and friends. Don’t just try to hang out with them in the hope that they will randomly introduce you to a potential date. It’s a much better idea to specifically ask family and friends if they know someone.
As long as it’s a friend or a family member whose character judgment you trust and who has a general idea of what you are looking for in a potential date, ask away. A lot of times, family and friends are all too happy to help you connect with someone they know.
Try an online dating site
If we’re being honest, we have to admit that the way we connect with other people and even communicate in everyday life has changed radically in recent years. Gone are the days when the only way to meet someone was by being in their physical presence.
Read more: 5 Ways to Determine If Dating Sites Are Trustworthy
Online dating sites like Catholic Singles can be a really helpful way to meet others like you, even local singles.
A safe and reliable dating app is a great way to get directly back into the dating scene, as it helps you meet others who have the same goal as you do.
Go to church
Catholics have a strong emphasis on how Mass attendance is participation in a sacrament. This is good, but it often means that we don’t think of going to church as a way to meet other people.
If we do overlook the opportunity of meeting people that our parish can give us, we’re really missing out.
While it might be hard to connect with local Catholic singles by only going to Mass on Sunday, a little effort here can really pay off.
If your parish has a coffee and donut gathering after Sunday morning Mass, try dropping in for it.
Give attendance at a daily Mass a try, since it’s often a smaller and closer-knit crowd there on weekdays. You just might find some friendly people who would love to get to know you.
You can also try reading the parish bulletin with an eye for upcoming events and volunteer opportunities. Helping out is often a great way to bring you together with others.
Volunteer at a local charity
It’s not only volunteering for events at your parish that can serve as great way to meet others. You could also look for opportunities to volunteer at a local charity.
You might meet Catholics from a neighboring parish if you volunteer to serve at a soup kitchen or to work at a crisis pregnancy center.
Try looking for a particular charity or organization that seems interesting to you. If you’re able to meet local singles by volunteering there, you’ll have the added bonus of having a common interest with them.
Get involved in a new hobby
Hobbies exist for a reason. We can’t just live our lives working, praying, and hanging out alone.
Having a side interest that you can pursue can really enrich your life in general. And it can also be helpful in meeting other people.
Hobbies can be in a wide variety of areas. But perhaps the best kinds of hobbies are ones that also help us connect with other people.
Try taking a class of some kind. Dancing, cooking, pottery – the options are endless. Often, local community centers offer classes like these for pretty reasonable rates.
Another avenue to try would be to get involved in a community sport, like a softball team or a bowling league.
Any time you’re having fun with something you’re interested in while also spending time with others, chances are high that you’ll be able to connect with people who have common interests with you.
Even though it might seem like an overwhelming task to search for local Catholic singles like you, a bit of digging for opportunities can yield pretty fruitful results.
Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there and try connecting with others in person or through a trusted app like Catholic Singles.
