As we all know the COVID-19 Pandemic has changed our reality. Some more than others, but there is doubt that everybody has felt the effects of this pandemic. Some changes have been bigger than others, but for a lot of people, the lack of social interaction compared to “normal life” has been one of the most difficult changes.
You could be self-isolating because you caught the infection, trying to avoid the virus, quarantined because you were exposed to someone with the virus, are in the high-risk category, working from home, or any other reason, whatever the reason may be, you may have this hovering loom of loneliness hovering above your head. Especially now that the holidays are right around the corner. Circle of Life realizes that this may prohibit you from seeing your loved ones during this special time.
Circle of Life wants to comfort you in saying that you are not alone. In fact, with everything that is going on, this feeling is actually quite normal. In this blog, we are going to recommend several options for you to try to help you reduce this sense of loneliness and to help you get through this year’s holidays during a pandemic.
Develop and Keep to a Schedule
One thing that keeps people from feeling lonely is keeping yourself busy. Occupying your time not only makes time go by faster, but it also keeps your mind busy, not letting in wonder into the feeling of loneliness.
Even if you are isolated at home, try and schedule as much as possible. This even means cleaning things, doing workouts, going for walks, doing art — just try and keep to a schedule. It will also help you feel as though you are being productive. We recommend even keeping a journal on how you feel and any thoughts you might have as this is a healthy outlet to any feeling of loneliness, stress, or anxiety.
Stay Active
It is common that we tend to focus more on our health in the manner of staying away from the virus. Although this is a priority, our mental and physical health is also a priority. The two go hand in hand as well. If you spend weeks without getting any exercise, this can lead to a much more difficult time coping with isolation. By exercise, we don’t mean you have to go and do a full workout (you can if you want to), but this could mean doing simple things such as:
Trying yoga — there are numerous yoga tutorials and classes online that are free and resourceful.
Go for a walk — as long as you’re socially distant, people in every state are allowed to go outside and exercise on public grounds. If you feel uncomfortable about going outside, don’t worry there’s plenty you can still do.
Try an exercise-based dance class — Zumba and other high-activity dance classes are always fun and get your body moving. You can also find a lot of those classes on the internet.
Connect With Others in Non-Traditional Ways
In today’s world, we have access to an abundance of resources that help us connect and socialize with people outside of your traditional face-to-face conversations. This is extremely helpful and important during the holidays. Because with today’s non-traditional ways of communicating, you can see the face of your loved one without being next to them. Here are some outlets of non-traditional communicating:
Using FaceTime, Zoom, Skype, Etc. — These outlets tend to be more intimate as you can see the person/people you’re talking to. This is a favorite when it comes to the holidays, especially for holidays like Christmas and Hanukkah where you can see the person open up their gifts.
Send a handwritten letter — This used to be the traditional way to talk to people who did not live near you, but they are rare these days. Letters have a sentimental feel these days. Because of this, people love writing and receiving them
Social media — We know that social media isn’t for everybody, but it seems as though everybody has at least a Facebook. It is nice to see interaction from other human beings, even though it is all virtual, but this can help clear up any loneliness.
Text — Texting isn’t as intimate as any of the other options, but the fact is you’re talking to somebody and that can help you feel less lonely. You have the privacy of your conversation and can talk about anything you both are comfortable talking about.
Get Creative
Artists love getting lost in their work and there’s a reason for that. It can greatly improve your mental health as you are expressing yourself in a healthy way. For this coping strategy though, you don’t have to worry about being the “artistic type” or anything like because there are many forms of art and at least trying them won’t hurt. Some of these include:
- Writing
- Painting
- Learning/Practicing an instrument
- Redecorate your house
- Knitting
- Drawing
- Other arts and crafts
Circle of Life services those who suffer from dementia, but we also care about people’s well being and general health. This is a serious topic and we want to make sure that we address it. Remember that you are not alone in this pandemic. Everybody in the world has been affected by this pandemic in a direct or indirect way. For this year’s holidays, make sure you check in with your family, friends, and/or the people that you care about. Contact us for any support and any questions or concerns you may have.
Additionally, check out this great video that speaks very well to this topic.