Love and Where to Find it: 3 Places Healthcare Workers Have Tried
So many of us desire to experience love and find “the one.” We want to find the one meant for us...our soulmate, our life partner. In the previous blog, I discussed the qualities that single female healthcare professionals desire in a partner. But the grand question is: where do we find our partner, our life-mate? I recall seeing memes about wishing the love of our life would just show up to our door. Before I got married, I could totally relate to that! But as we know, it takes putting yourself out there.
3 Places Healthcare Workers are Searching to Find the One
It is not easy to put yourself out there. This takes courage and it can feel risky. It is not any different for healthcare workers. You normally do not know the outcome of what can happen until you try it. You may relate to the women below or perhaps you are looking for ideas. Here are some places that healthcare workers have tried or are actively trying to find their person:
Dating apps. Online dating comes with pros and cons. If you are like Kira, a 38-year-old healthcare marketing professional, you have tried, “…all the dating sites: Tinder, Bumble.” Healthcare workers face challenges when it comes to online dating as previously noted. Because of these challenges, these professionals have come up with strategies.
Lynn, a 60-year-old healthcare worker, says, “I don't trust a profile with only one picture. I won't even engage them. I have no desire. That just is like catfishing red flag, right?” If a healthcare worker is searching for a partner online, one of the standards is they've more than one picture. Having more than one picture may show more realness or be more credible. If you've seen the show Catfish, you'd see that multiple pictures still doesn't guarantee you won't be catfished. But, it provides more options to run through that Google Image reverse search.
Lynn continues, “Any profile that mentions God is something they live for seems off. I was raised Catholic, but I look at faith as something you do not brag about. So, I don't want to hear what your priorities are. I want to be able to see them.” Now, there is nothing wrong with professing your belief (I do so very often!). But for women like Lynn, actions speaks louder than words. There must be consistency with what you say you believe in and what you do in that belief. The fruit (or the behavior) will show how aligned he is in his faith.
Kathy, a 34-year-old professional in healthcare, states, “So I have found that putting my job on there helps weed [that] out a little bit." When speaking with Kathy, she elaborated that doing this helps to see who recognizes and values mental health. Maura, 29-year-old healthcare woman in the mental health field agreed, “I usually put it on there.” Kathy reports, “It tells me a lot about a person when I tell them what my job is or when they comment on it. So that has been interesting.” Some women in healthcare are nervous putting their career on profiles due to concerns of inappropriate conversations from prospective partners. But like these women stated, it can also be of help. In another blog, I touched on why healthcare workers would like their potential partner to do their own inner work.
“I'll change my age range, so it doesn't match the range of any of my clients and monitor the radius,” says Maura. This ensures safety and no awkwardness when Maura (and other healthcare women) meets with clients who could also be online. The world is small, so taking that careful step may be beneficial.
“Christian Mingle, eHarmony - I tried those a couple of years ago,” reported Beth, a 32-year-old professional in healthcare. Like Beth, many workers find dating apps tailored with specific faiths to increase likelihood of finding the one. Kira also did similarly, “…I actually went on J Swipe, which is Jewish dating site. I started dating more religious Jewish men.” If your faith is an important value for you, maybe trying one of these apps can help.
Faith-based groups. Beth states, “I tried…a community choir. I was the youngest person there; the average age down by probably like 40 years.” Beth said this was more challenging because of the age difference. Depending on your age range preference, this may or may not matter. Beth also mentions, “I’ve done different young adults’ groups, bible studies, and it's usually very heavily female.” This demonstrates the gender gap for female healthcare workers looking for a male partner.
Gym. Beth discusses, “I go to a gym just for health for myself, but also like, ‘Hey, you know, maybe I'll meet someone.’ But I usually do the fitness classes, which tend to be all females, all women.” This also shows a hardship in the gym when seeking the find that lifetime partner. I have observed males normally working out on their own or with their group of friends. On the other hand, a lot of women, me included, tend to enjoy fitness classes for the community and guidance. I admire the women who can work out on their own; that takes courage putting themselves out there!
There is not a formula on where to find your person exactly. Each woman will have her own experience, which may include timing and location of finding that one. Sometimes it can feel like a never-ending journey. Other times, it can feel like the process is worthwhile. Some even enjoy it and find it interesting! You may have tried some of the places healthcare women have tried mention above. And although your searching journey may have not ended, you are worth being found by your lifetime partner.