The prospect of spending an indefinite period of time away from other humans can be quite daunting — especially if you live alone, are unable to visit loved ones, or are already experiencing loneliness. Or maybe you are a new parent, or a not-so-new parent, or a person who loves the chit chat at the office, or an extrovert. Really any of us. Remember that infamous longitudinal (repeated observation of the same variables over a long period of time) Harvard Study on happiness? It found a strong association between happiness and close relationships like spouses, family, friends, and social circles.
The term social distancing Is something I want us to move away from. I think that we should be “physically“ distant and socially maximizing. Connection is what we seek at all ages. This may sound like common sense, but it's important to be proactive about it. Maybe you are already doing this? If voice notes or texts aren't cutting it, and you need a bit more of a back and forth, then call up someone you love and have a long chat. Ideas for this could be a simple as an online play date with two friends where they can just talk and show each other their favorite stuffed animal, tw/eens, can use a format where they can interactively play a board game with each other or sit and listen to music together, and adults can meet up for happy hour with their closest friends and/or family, host a trivia night, or a themed party, or have a jam session with friends who play instruments, etc. I haven't done this yet, but someone mentioned a Netflix play where a group of folks can watch a movie together and interact throughout.
Not a fan of the group thing on a good day will phone calls and video chatting are also well suited to promoting connection. Now that our social calendars are sparse, make plans with friends, colleagues, family members! One cubicle away, one mile away, or 1,000 miles away doesn't come into play when you visit online.
So go forth (or rather, stay in) and socialize, but also consider using your newfound time at home to do things you enjoy, but can’t usually squeeze into your day.
In the comments, please tell us what you are doing to stay connected!
