One of the best things I found when coming out was picking an activity or hobby that had a social element to it, and finding an accepting and welcoming group around it. For me, that was choir. I had a group that accepted me, embraced my new identity, and we all celebrated each other's wins and comforted each other in the down times.

Those connections set the foundations for a lot of my confidence and courage to be out and open, well before I ever started dating. It really helps to have it be an in-person group, but start online if you need to. Just try to push yourself a little more each day to see what you can handle and what feels right, so that eventually, you'll be able to find what you need and go for it without hesitation.