The current Covid-19 Pandemic has taken many of us out of our normal day-to-day lives and placed us inside our homes for an indefinite amount of time. This new world we are living in can cause feelings of anxiety, depression, and loneliness. Though these feelings are normal, it is important that we develop healthy coping mechanisms to combat them, and possibly, use this new, free time to your advantage. Here a few tips to help you do just that:
Use technology to stay connected with friends
Just because you’re confined to your home, that doesn’t mean you have to lose your social network! Maintaining relationships when you can’t see each other face-to-face can be challenging, but it’s incredibly important if you want to remain mentally and socially healthy. In order to maintain consistency and experience a healthy dose of social interaction while social distancing, schedule a time each day to FaceTime a friend! Use this time to talk about your day and get your mind off of the more stressful things in life.
BONUS: Download the Netflix Party extension on your web browser to virtually watch a movie
together!
Read a book
Had a book on your shelf forever that you have just never had time for? Now you have the time! Books can be a great stress reliever as they allow you to immerse yourself in a new world. In a way, it allows you to maintain social distancing, while letting your brain get out and explore. Don’t have many books to choose from at home, but your library is closed due to the Covid-19 Pandemic? Check your local library’s website. They likely have a selection of ebooks that can be checked out and downloaded onto your device from the comfort of your own home!
Bonus: Have kids at home? It’s likely that your library also has children’s ebooks, as well as online learning resources available.
Get a breath of fresh air
You might need to avoid contact with others and public places, but that doesn’t mean you can’t go outside at all. It’s important to get yourself up and moving, and taking yourself out of your indoor environment can provide a refresh to your new schedule. Take your dog on a walk and spend some quality time with your furry friend, or take yourself on a walk, put in your headphones, and find a new podcast to listen to.
Jump on online professional development opportunities
There’s a vast number of opportunities available out there; all you have to do is look! If you’re an AWC member, there is tons of content just a “click” away on the website, such as our Know to Grow Webinars or the career center. Needing some help or guidance in your career field? Utilize the membership directory to find a mentor!
This could also be the perfect time to update that resume or LinkedIn page. This is something we should constantly be doing, but it’s easy to put it on the back burner and fall behind. With all the extra free time we have now, there is no better time to give these professional profiles an update.
Pick up a new hobby
Now that your home has likely become your place of work, you should find something to get your mind off things so you’re not always in that “work” head space. This could mean learning that instrument you’ve always wanted to! There are thousands of resources online where as long as you have the instrument, you can learn the rest for free. Just a practice a little bit every day, and soon you’ll be a pro!
Want more of a family activity to take part in? It’s time to break out the puzzles and board games! The family may be starting to get a little stir crazy in the house, so why not bring everyone together with a good strategy game? This will get your mind working in a competitive and strategic way that will cause you to forget all other worries for a bit.
The current environment we are living in is scary. There’s no other way to describe it, but just because it’s scary, that doesn’t mean we have to let fear take over our entire lives. While we may have to currently disengage from social and public activities, we can still engage in the things we know and love, even if we have to make a few adjustments.
About the Author
Emily Deppermann is a senior at Illinois State University. She is currently the Website Design and Development Chair, as well as the Co-Social Media Chair for Illinois State University’s Association for Women in Communications (AWC) student chapter. She will graduate with a Bachelor’s Degree in Public Relations in December 2020. After graduation, Emily plans on attending graduate school, and one day, she hopes to work in public relations for a publishing company.
1 thought on “How to Thrive While Social Distancing”
This was great