Maintaining Your Personal Relationships in the Time of Social Distancing
Because of what the world is going through with the coronavirus, some cities have gone on lockdown. Some have imposed quarantines. All of us have been advised to practice social distancing - avoiding crowds, limiting in-person contact with friends and colleagues as many companies have adopted a remote work scheme, and basically staying home. For a lot of people, this is a welcome change. However, as we adjust to this “new normal”, here are some tips to maintain our personal relationships.
1. Check-in on your friends, families, and teammates via phone, chat or email
Connecting with people we care about and those who care about us helps make us feel like we’re still part of a larger community. It’s good for our mental health to find out how each one is doing, engage in some casual conversation, and even maybe share some laughs. Being cooped up at home can make you feel alone and isolated so taking the initiative to reach out will allow you to still keep in touch. Because we can’t go out to have brunch, meet up for dinner and drinks, nor grab a cup of coffee from our favorite cafes in person together anymore, we have to be extra creative to still do “social’ things without actually meeting up in person face-to-face.
2. Play games together - online
Ah, the wonders of technology and the internet! There are games to play, puzzles to solve, mysteries to crack, and matches to participate in online! You and your family and friends can definitely play together via the interwebs. Most game platforms have a remote play together function where you can play multiplayer games with friends online. You can also stream input, voice, audio, and video between players making it highly interactive and fun. Popular games that you can play together online range from simple browser card games and popular sports like basketball and bowling, to role-playing games where you build fortresses and go on magical quests to save kingdoms.
3. Learn together
Have you always wanted to learn something new but never had the time to do so? Have you made plans to take something up with someone but both of you never got the opportunity to find a mutually suitable freed up schedule? Well, now you can do both. With some small adjustments and lots of creativity, you can definitely do so now. Attend an online yoga class. There are tons of Youtube videos you can play together and trikonasana to your hearts’ content from the comfort of your own living rooms. Listen to a podcast together and discuss it afterward. Participate in a virtual learning class on a topic that you’re both interested in. The possibilities are endless. For people who work together, you might want to take those learning courses from your company’s training department you’ve been putting off. A lot of companies have e-learning portals with topics ranging from Excel 101 to leadership, and from time management to an Introduction to Six Sigma. Ask your HR and IT departments to get more information.
4. Create something together
You can still spend time with friends and family to make something together - but separately. Of course, nothing beats coming together physically and spending time to craft or have discussions. But who says you can’t move your baking sessions and book clubs online? It’s important to still pursue your hobbies and interests, and under typical circumstances we would have met up and congregated. For now, virtual meet-ups and discussions will have to do.
Lastly,
5. Remember that there will be times you will feel alone… and it’s okay
For people who have an active social life, adjusting to this new reality can be disconcerting and unnatural at first. Even the most introverted people need some form of social connectedness to continue to function and while this kind of situation is something they will prefer, at some point, the cabin fever will eventually set in. These are tough times and each of us will be coping with it in our own ways, and there will be times that we wouldn’t be able to connect with our circle in specific times and ways we need. These instances might be the times we will feel isolated and alone. What we need to do is to realize that it’s okay. In these situations, we need to turn inward and take this opportunity to work on ourselves. It would be a good time as any to build our self-awareness and deepen our internal resolve. We can do this by journaling or meditating.
As human beings and as social creatures, we need social relationships to remind us that we’re part of a bigger whole. It’s vital to continue to maintain and cultivate relationships to feel safety, trust, and belongingness. Let’s just never forget that the most important relationship we need to nurture is that with ourselves.
As always, sometimes our anxiety and fears might be too overwhelming and it might be time to be in conversation with a mental health expert. Consider signing up with an Infinit Care counselor to begin your mental health journey.
