National* Loneliness Day
(Not an actual holiday)
(But I did just find out that National Loneliness Awareness Day is actually November 8th… go figure)
Socially isolated, quarantined, and zoomed-out….. What are ways you can continue to connect?
Now more than ever we need to ensure we are getting enough social connection. Children, teens, adults… everyone is feeling more isolated than ever before. Is it even possible to find options to connect with others right now? I can literally hear you saying, “But there’s nothing to do!” As I have many times before from clients that I work with. Well, here are some ideas to try.
Get Okay With Being Chilly.
Figure out ways to meet outside or just walk, despite the winter. Can you meet around some heat lamps or a backyard fire pit? Can you park next to each other and lower the windows for a quick catch up? You could go skiing, snowboarding, sledding, or snow shoeing. I’ve even seen people building DIY ice skating rinks in their yard by building up walls, lining with a tarp thing, and filling with water! Brilliant. Hey look, mail carriers brave the weather everyday, so maybe we can too for a shorter amount of time.
Foster Long-Distance Friendships.
Thinking about how people maintain long distance friendships/relationships, you can start to get creative. Can you write a letter or send a postcard to a friend or family member? Can you drop off a small gift or baked good? Leaving care packages on people’s door is a great way to make a friendship feel closer. As humans we often feel good by doing good in the world and just imagine how excited your friend would be to open a small box with a hand drawn baby yoda or a sourdough loaf (oh wait, are we past that phase of quarantine already?).
Stepped Up Zooms
Okay, we’ve all had enough of just sitting on our electronics. Is there even much to say anymore with being quarantined to our houses most of the time? Try something different. Do a yoga sequence together, a workout, or a paint step-by-step youtube video. Can you play games together or cook something together? Give Among Us a try (or maybe we are already past that phase of quarantine too). I know these might be out of the box, but these are unprecedented times, so we might need to respond in ways we haven’t thought of before.
Small Acts of Kindness
Give a compliment to the person at the grocery store check out or give a generous tip to the take-out delivery driver. Maybe buy the next person in the drive-thru line’s coffee or french fries. I have also seen virtual volunteer opportunities, such as being a young adult radio host, social media coordinator, virtual art instructor, virtual tutor, or even donating your knitting or crocheting to people in need.
Do Something Different (with someone or alone).
Give something a try that you haven’t tried before. Maybe take some courses to learn a new language or instrument. Check out the online resources to make a family tree or do genetic testing. Join a facebook group for something you are interested in or even an online gaming community. Try a learn calligraphy workbook or origami. Try your hand at a home DIY project (with parent approval if needed). I also recently saw something about QuarantineChat, but honestly know nothing else about it. So maybe check it out. You could also do virtual museum tours, watch Tedtalks…
WOW SO MANY IDEASSSSS
The dawn will come on a day when social distancing is a thing of the past. Let’s just try to get through this as best we can for now.
Doc Hotz