“The Offline Dating Method” Teaches Singles to Find Dates in the Real World

The Short Version: Meeting potential partners was hard enough before the COVID-19 pandemic, but today’s dating world is even more challenging to break into — or is it? Author and Dating Coach Camille Virginia’s new book “The Offline Dating Method” teaches surprisingly simple techniques and skills that make it easier to make friends and score new dates. As more singles turn to online dating apps and websites, Camille shows readers how to connect with people in the real world.

Meeting new people in the real world isn’t always easy for adults, especially singles looking for a date. Add in the COVID-19 pandemic that included a lack of social interaction and masking, and some feel like expanding their social circle is impossible.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 41% of American adults have experienced increased anxiety and feelings of depression since the COVID-19 pandemic began.

Singles have faced isolation due to remote work, social distancing guidelines, and even stay-at-home mandates. Those people also may find it difficult to reacclimate themselves to social life and meet new people post-pandemic.

Author and Dating Coach Camille Virginia’s new book “The Offline Dating Method” aims to help those singles establish meaningful connections in real life — not online.

Some singles don’t have much trouble meeting new people offline, even during the pandemic. They may have strong networks of friends cultivated through academic connections, or they work in energetic environments that attract people who share common interests.

But many others are at a point in their lives where most of their friends are married, often with children, and they’re still swiping Tinder with the hope of landing a date.

Camille wants to help. Her book teaches singles interpersonal skills and techniques to reach out more comfortably to new people for friendship or relationships. She also shares her insights on boosting mental health, overcoming loneliness, and even finding great dates.

Camille was a shy girl who grew up in Chicago, and she met many of her lifelong friends in college while earning her degree in marketing.

Guys often approached her with a line about her attractive energy. They asked her out in grocery stores, nightclubs, and coffee shops. Her friends were impressed that Camille never had to try online dating and still met new men all the time.

Over the years, Camille realized that she had done more than overcome her social anxiety. She had mastered the art of meaningful in-person connections, making it fun and easy for her to share her upbeat personality with clients, new friends, and potential dates.

In 2014, she started to teach what she mastered through one-on-one coaching work and continues those lessons in her new book. “Offline Dating Method” combines the expert advice she provides clients with an in-depth analysis of how the COVID-19 pandemic may have changed the dating world forever.

Camille is dedicated to sharing authentic, practical methods to help people feel less lonely. She hopes her readers can improve not only their romantic lives but also their friendships, families, and careers by following her tips for connecting with others.

“The main barrier that I see my single clients hitting when they say they can’t find any potential partners is that they are screening potential partners for the wrong criteria,” Camille told InStyle. “For instance, you might mistake hot chemistry for partner compatibility — in other words, being on the same page around big picture values.”

With a growing percentage of the population receiving the COVID-19 vaccine, singles are ready to get out and resume their search for compatible partners. Another factor that explains why more people want to meet dates in person is dating app fatigue, but that doesn’t mean they have the skills to connect.

Many singles are experiencing FODA, or “fear of dating again” as they grapple with today’s new normal.

In many cases, there may be a subtle connection to health concerns — but that could just be an excuse not to meet someone new who could be a potential date. Camille’s book teaches readers how to feel more comfortable with every part of the process, including what to do with your face now that it’s out of hiding.

FODA has created a new trend that can also work to a single person’s advantage. Camille calls the concept “slow dating.” The pandemic made it a little more serious to lean in for a kiss on the first date. No longer is it appropriate or encouraged to hook up with a blind date as quickly as singles did before the pandemic. Camille’s book helps singles navigate this new dating territory.

She also lets readers know they’re not alone if they feel lonely. She writes about common fears that people have about connection and explains how singles can overcome them. Once readers learn the symptoms of loneliness, they can move past it faster.

The book also covers the emerging mental health crisis that has appeared with the rise of COVID-19 cases. As the pandemic continues to impact the globe, it’s worth remembering ways to improve mental health through exercise, diet, good sleep patterns, and other healthy habits.

Camille’s latest book teaches people how to overcome FODA, meet potential partners in real life, and regain confidence in the dating scene. She has perfected a three-step method to create meaningful connections in person.

Finding the love of a lifetime always starts with friendship, and Camille’s advice can reduce social anxiety about connecting with others. She suggests that people use simple, everyday objects to start conversations with strangers. These simple connections help singles feel less alone and more fulfilled.

She outlines the five elements of a meaningful conversation and even shares word-for-word scripts readers can use.

Camille also draws from her own experiences in the book. She actively takes her own advice and has connected with lots of great men in everyday places, several of which turned into fulfilling committed relationships. Her ultimate goal is to inspire other singles to meet offline and have the same success.

Although most of Camille’s date coaching clients are female, she wrote the book for a wider audience. “Offline Dating Method” is inclusive of all races, genders, and sexual orientations. It’s written as a guide to finding friendship and more.

For singles who are struggling with FODA or other social fears, the pandemic has presented serious challenges. Instead of hiding behind a screen, singles can use the book to meet new people and start having fun again.