Staying Connected While Social Distancing

By now everyone is practicing social distancing and feeling the reality of this rapidly changing, strange life under the threat of coronavirus. With an understanding of how quickly and easily the virus spreads, it’s something to take seriously, not just for yourself, but for the safety of other more vulnerable people in your community. While it’s a time of physical distance, it’s also a time for personal connection. No one is immune from the impact of the outbreak, whether you’re an employee or business owner wondering how to pay the bills, a parent dealing with children home from school, or an adult child dealing with your older parent feeling cut off from the world. While it’s all of our responsibility to flatten the curve of this virus, everyone can use a dose of support to feel a little less alone.

Here are six tips for safely staying connecting during this difficult time.

Continue to Reach Out

Stay in communication with people who need your attention. Contact those you know who would benefit from someone looking out for them, such as your parents, older relatives, elderly neighbors and young parents with housebound children. Hearing a friendly voice and letting them know you are thinking about them can provide a tremendous boost during a lonely day. Make a point of staying connected with your friends and family during this time of social isolation. Drop a card in the mail to a faraway friend or send an email to someone you are thinking about. Remember, social distancing does not need to mean social isolation.

Phone It In

Phone calls have fallen by the wayside in recent years, giving way to texts or social media. But there’s no replacement for hearing the voice of a loved one and having an actual conversation. The phone may enjoy a resurgence of popularity during this time because no other form of communication is quite so easy, intimate and satisfying – unlike a text message, you know exactly what a person means and how they’re feeling by how they say something. Call your mother, your sister, your best friend and bask in the warm sounds of conversation. It really is the next best thing to being there, as the old phone company slogan goes.

Face Facts

This is an age where being isolated while at home is optional. There is a multitude of social media apps and services that let you meet face-to-face digitally with friends, loved ones and colleagues. Arrange for your book club to connect via Zoom. Set up a virtual playdate for a kid (or for yourself) through FaceTime. Schedule an online coffee break with others who are working remotely. You can even stand outside your grandmother’s house and talk to her on your mobile phone as you look at each other through the window.

Stay Social

Social media was made for moments like this. Reach out to friends on your favorite platform. Let others know how you’re holding up. Look for happy stories to share to help keep spirits up. Unfollow anyone who is overly negative, an alarmist or putting out unreliable information. Curate and cultivate your social media pages to lift yourself up instead of creating further panic.

Let Love Bloom Differently

Social distancing might make things a inconvenient for those who are newly dating or attempting to meet new people online. Connecting at a bar, restaurant or club is out of the question for the time being, but you don’t have to let romance die on the vine. This could be an opportunity to get to know someone in a different way by talking actually spending some time communicating by phone, Facetime and text. You will also learn something more about the person you are interested in by how they are treating this pandemic. If they are disregarding warnings, ignoring pleas to social distance, continuing to operate as if nothing is different, putting themselves and others at risk, take careful note. For a relationship to last,  core values must align. If you have a SO, celebrate date night “in”. Dress up, pick a movie, pop some popcorn and enjoy each other’s company. This is a time to appreciate your bond.

Cultivate Gratitude

If you are feel “cooped up”, don’t lose heart. Shifting your mindset can help you make this temporary isolation a positive experience. Be thankful that everyone is home together. Be grateful for the opportunity to share extra time to play a game,  cook a meal, catch up on lost time or sit in silence along side your son or daughter and read a book or magazine. With younger children, it’s important to create a routine which incorporates play, learning, movement and rest. This virus will eventually pass but the memories you make right now will last a lifetime.

You may also like Working Remotely During COVID-19. For more of Diane’s etiquette tips read her posts on Inc., subscribe to her articles on The Huffington Post, “like” The Protocol School of Texas on Facebook, and follow her on Pinterest,  Instagram and Twitter.