How to remain Connected while maintaining Social Distance

We’ve all witnessed a systematic shuttering of the world. The Coronavirus fear has grabbed headlines and claimed lives since the turn of the year and as a result, we’ve been locked down at home. Different nations have enforced social distancing norms in varying degrees of severity to limit our interaction with our fellow human beings. This public health directive is meant to stop the transmission of the deadly virus among our communities and reduce the burden on the healthcare infrastructure of the world.

But man is, after all, a social animal, and his need for connection is at the core of life itself. The mandate of social distancing dictates that we keep to ourselves and avoid physical contact with people as much as possible; however, this makes it all the more necessary to stay connected and bridge this gap emotionally. It’s crucial to remember that not everyone is quarantined with their friends and family; some people are suffering alone in solitude. For those of us who have traveled across the country for work or academics, staying emotionally connected despite the physical distance can not only build us up and help us feel stronger during this time, it can actually help us stay sane.

If you are by yourself right now, remember to take care of your mental health and take this time as an opportunity to focus on yourself. If you need someone to talk to, You can always talk to Wysa.

Here are some methods you can try to stay emotionally connected:

1. Make calls

A phone call from a loved one can light up the harshest heart. Take the effort to call your friends and family on a daily or weekly basis to check on them. Ask them how their days are progressing and talk them through any moments of fear or apprehension that they may be facing. This is the simplest, most obvious way to be in touch.

2. Write emails

Many of us had pen pals while we were growing up, prior to the advent of the internet. Consider Quarantine as an opportunity to revive these old traditions albeit via email. Reach out to peers who reside abroad and narrate your experience of their lockdown and ask for theirs. When this blows over, you’ll cherish these heartfelt exchanges for some time to come.

3. Video chat

Missing weekly rituals with the gang? Recreate them online via the group chat on Whatsapp, Zoom, or the latest internet darling- Houseparty.  Schedule a time for this virtual meetup and get everyone together via this medium for group dates. Most of these chat interfaces have creative games and activities for everybody to get participate in and enjoy together.

4. Musical outdoors

Whether you live in a residential complex or in a single home suburb, chances are that you’re acquainted with your next-door neighbors and connected through an extended WhatsApp group. If you play an instrument or know someone in the complex who does, get together to play a certain tune from your individual homes on a certain day at a certain time. If not, you can play the same playlist over Youtube or Spotify along with everyone else at the same time and have a remote party. This is sure to keep the coronavirus stress at bay.

5. Reach out to your work colleagues

You may or may not be very close to your co-workers, but it may be a good idea to check on their well-being from time to time. If you had a workplace routine like sharing a meal or an evening coffee during the weekdays pre-quarantine, try to keep up this ritual virtually. This will foster positivity in the offline work commitments that you may be collaborating on, as well as, keep shreds of workplace normalcy intact.

6. Reach out to clients and vendors

There are a lot of people we encounter in our respective line of work from contractors and vendors to clients and creditors. While you may or may not be engaging with them actively at the moment owing to the Covid industrial shutdown and restrictions, it’s important that you go above and beyond your regular call of duty to give them a ring just as a courtesy. Conversations you have and the relationships you build during this critical time period will be remembered for some time to come.

7. Send positivity on Social Media

Each one of us has a social network online. Each one of us shares our unique moments and experiences online depending on our familiarity with the platform and the audience. Whether you’re more active on the professional network or prefer to keep it casual with friends, ensure you send out messages or videos of positive reinforcement that emanate calm and hopefulness. If you’re sharing news articles, make sure you check your sources judiciously before you circulate information that may or may not be true and incite panic and restlessness. Be responsible in these turbulent times and lend a helping hand to those in need, albeit, remotely.

Remember to take care of your own mental health as well and practice gratitude and wellness during this difficult time. You can always use Wysa if you need someone to talk to. We have also made some tool packs free to manage any stress and anxiety.