Us humans are hardwired for connection. We are social beings. While social distancing is good for us in terms of preventative health measures, it can take its toll on our emotional well-being. At a time when we most want reassurance and comfort, it is never more important to feel safe and connected. While we may be physically distanced we can still be virtually connected through technology and even some are resorting to good old fashioned methods of connection such as writing letters. These are very important tools to help us feel safe and to help alleviate stress and keep us all healthy.
Here are some other ideas to help us through...
Stay Safe - the obvious one of course is to wash hands with soap and water or use hand sanitiser regularly throughout the day. If you sneeze or cough - catch it in a tissue, bin it and wash your hands.
Stay Informed - Decide on accessing only reliable information sources. It is also good to limit the amount of information you expose yourself to as too much can be counterproductive and overwhelming - we call this "social-media distancing".
Stay Connected at a distance - Call or facetime friends or family - hearing a friend's or loved one's voice can mean a lot more than a text. Use different technologies for example, Whatsapp videocalling, facetime, skype, zoom etc.
Stay supportive - be kind - think of others - if safe to do so help others with practical things - this can give you a sense of purpose - check how others are doing - let them know you care.
Stay active - find some exercises that you can do at home to boost your mood.
Most importantly remember that this is only temporary, reassure one another as this will alleviate stress and help keep us all healthy. Lastly, be kind to yourself, a little self-compassion goes a long way.
(c) Busby, M. 2020.