SASKATOON -- In a time when social distancing, masks and isolation is at the forefront of everyone’s lives in a pandemic, looking for love is an added challenge.
Jennilee Cardinal-Schultz is a single mother and entrepreneur who had to make the difficult choice of deciding what to keep in her life in order to prioritize the safety of those around her when the pandemic began.
Many of her customers are immune-compromised and her senior parents often take care of her daughter.
“It feels like such a delicate bubble that we have going here. For me to keep all my pieces going in my life, the easiest thing to cut was looking for love,” Cardinal-Schultz said.
While she admits to being lonely, she says the time alone has provided her with an opportunity for personal growth. Running a business and always checking her phone for meetings, calls and more, Cardinal-Schultz says using a dating app is too much right now.
“I just don’t meet people organically, primarily my customers are 99 per cent women. My office is away, I don’t go out and socialize just because of where we’re at in the pandemic.”
Associate professor Sarah Knudson at the University of Saskatchewan says that while it’s important for people to take precautions, it’s important to look at your own situation when deciding to date.
“Measure your own mental health and the fact that you’re a social being. Measure that against safety and definitely be active in dating in whatever way that you can that’s safe for you at this time.”
As the province is under an extreme cold warning and the weather in Saskatoon drops below -30 C, going for an outdoor coffee date or walk may not be an option.
Because of this, Knudson says people might be more inclined to expand their social bubble in order to meet someone.
The trust that also comes with meeting someone you don’t know and hoping they adhere to social distancing rules can also be a challenge.
She says it’s important not to judge someone harshly if they're hesitant to meet and it shouldn’t be taken as something personal. In a case like that, it might help to wait a few more weeks.
“We’re social beings, we’re hard wired to want love and connection and intimacy and relationships.”
While Cardinal-Schultz recognizes that everyone has different levels of comfort when it comes to allowing people in their bubble, she says it puts a damper on everything and almost makes her not want to reach out to people.
“Dating somebody isn’t the end all be all. It would be awesome to meet people right now but I’m focusing really on personal growth and you know treating myself and all those fun things,” Cardinal-Schultz adds.
“So maybe I’ll buy myself something for Valentine’s Day.”
