(NYTIMES) - It is a brutal time to be single - even before Valentine's Day showed up.

The spontaneous whimsy of a regular dating life has been replaced by rolling restrictions, questionable adherence to social-distancing protocols and a whole new meaning to "getting tested".

And if you have been in a relationship throughout the past year, you may be wondering if you would even still be together if you were not quarantining together.

So, whether your love life is on life support or you have not been touched in way too long, here are four podcasts that know how you feel and are ready to provide advice, consolation and a humorous escape.

1. Why won't you date me?

Let's get this out of the way. Nicole Byer is a national treasure. Her impeccable timing and unfailing cheer make her a delightful host of Netflix's Nailed It! bake-off reality show and co-host of the Best Friends podcast with Sasheer Zamata. So, why she is - despite her best efforts - perpetually, painfully single is indeed a valid question to investigate in 171 episodes and counting.

Byer is joined by fellow comedians, friends, therapists, drag queens and, sometimes, ex-lovers to get to the bottom of her predicament. She asks guests such as Ego Nwodim, Margaret Cho and Tiffany Haddish if they would date her and solicits their advice as to what she is doing wrong. And because it is Byer, the conversation is always unabashedly raunchy, intimate and hilarious.

2. Alone: A love story

This is a redemption story. After journalist and radio producer Michelle Parise's seemingly happy marriage explodes because of infidelity, she finds herself piecing together what happened - not just to the relationship, but also to the person she thought she was supposed to be. How did she end up nearly 40, a single mother, binge drinking and overwhelmingly lonely, now forced to navigate dating and sex with strangers for the first time in her life?

Parise's narrative vignettes unfurl her path to self-acceptance over three seasons, pulling you with her through heartbreaking despair, bleak humour and sexual discovery, but ultimately, compose a tale of resilience and the beauty of new beginnings. Start with the first episode of this memoir podcast and you will be hooked on Parise's homage to second chances.

3. Dateable: Your insider's look into modern dating

Every Wednesday, dating coach Yue Xu and producer Julie Krafchick, both "active daters turned dating sociologists", explore a different angle of dating, be it virtual sex, ghosting or the #MeToo era.

For five years, Xu and Krafchick have interviewed experts, therapists and daters to not only document modern dating, but also find the healthiest and happiest way to just be yourself in your quest to connect.

They also go above and beyond the average advice podcast-hosting duties to make you feel less alone in your dating quandaries. Recent episodes include Socially Distant Yet Emotionally Available and their Facebook group has become a private support community for listeners navigating love in the time of coronavirus.

4. Food 4 thot

Just in case you cannot tell from the title, this podcast is thirsty. Its four gay hosts open each episode with jokes and the sort of breezily ribald conversations that immediately cause the listener to lean right in.

The hosts, all writers from differing backgrounds, bring a literary perspective to subjects such as sex, identity and culture, delivering serious critique without taking themselves too seriously.

Come for the thoughtful analysis and surprising perspectives on the world.