I haven't socialized in person for nearly 2 months, but here are 8 ways social distancing has brought me closer to people
Matthew Wilson
- During the coronavirus pandemic, I've been social distancing but I still feel connected to others.
- Playing virtual games with friends has helped keep my mind on other things, and we're creating new, fun memories together.
- I find it's easier to speak to strangers because we are all going through this together.
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Over the past two months, most of the country has been social distancing due to the coronavirus pandemic. Despite not seeing my friends in person, I feel the experience has brought me closer to some people: friends, family, colleagues, and even people I do not know.
Here are eight ways I feel closer to people despite social distancing.
Read the original article on InsiderI've also felt more connected to the country as a whole. Even though our experiences are different, we're all going through this together.
Everyone has been affected and impacted by the coronavirus pandemic differently, but during this time, I've seen a lot of people trying to help others. Healthcare workers have put themselves and their families at risk working on the frontlines to save people. Others have tried to spread hope and joy during the pandemic. Knowing that we're all in this together has made me feel more connected to people across the country.
Often I feel like I get caught up in what's going on day-to-day, and I forget to pause and cherish life. The pandemic and hearing about people's experiences across the country has reminded me that no day is guaranteed and that I should appreciate and live in the moment before it passes.
Knowing that we are all sharing this experience has made it easier for me to talk to people.
Whenever I interview someone for my job, I usually ask them how they've been affected by the coronavirus pandemic. For someone who is introverted by nature, it's a conversation icebreaker. I get different responses every time because everyone has their own stories, but it's a topic that almost the entire world can relate to.
I've had more time to connect with my co-workers through happy hours and meetings.
When we were in the office together, we didn't hold regular meetings to socialize, but since working from home, we've started holding bi-weekly happy hours where we share what's going on in our lives and who attempted the latest baking craze.
During these calls, the conversation also inevitably goes to what we've been watching on TV while we're stuck at home — the release of "Tiger King" became a virtual water cooler moment.
I've spent time with my siblings before they move away to college.
Two of my siblings are sophomores in high school. In two years, they'll be going off to college to live their own lives, and home will never feel quite as complete as it did when we are all together. Some part of me still imagines them as these small children who will always be there when I come home to visit.
My brother and sister are my partners-in-crime, and we've come up with some fun activities together, such as swimming and playing basketball. My sister and I also had a cook-off for the rest of the family where we roasted lamb chops to see who had the better recipe.
I've also got to spend time with my grandma while I'm home, and it's time I really value.
My grandmother has lived with my parents for as long as I've been alive. She's the only grandparent I have left and the only link I have to her generation, so I am thankful that I get to spend these months with her and the time we've had together.
Before the pandemic hit, I was living hundreds of miles from my family, but now we're living together.
As I previously reported on Insider, I've been socially distancing with my family in an RV in Florida. There's seven of us, so let's just say I'm getting my fair share of family time.
Before this, I was living half a country away in New York, so one silver lining to the pandemic has been that it's allowed me to spend time with my family. From bonfires to movie nights, we try to plan plenty of family activities together.
We've also created new, fun memories joking around on Houseparty, which has become an alternative to game night.
Houseparty has helped resurrect game night and goofing around with my friends. Through the app we've been able to easily coordinate group hangout sessions. And while it only has a limited number of games, there's nothing quite like sketching a poorly drawn chicken in a game of Pictionary to raise the spirits.
Party games help distract the mind from the uncertainties in life. Sometimes all that matters to me is if I can properly guess that movie during a round of charades. I think we've put in more of an effort to play activities like these because they help us focus on other things.
I've managed to stay connected to friends via virtual happy hours, where we've all shared our experiences of life during the pandemic.
Just because we're distanced, it doesn't mean we can't be social. Keeping in contact virtually with my friends has helped me during the pandemic. It reminds me of fonder times when we were all sitting at a bar or restaurant, rather than on our couches. We're all now scattered across the country, but when we share a screen, it helps us feel a little closer.
I actually feel more connected to my friends. We're more open and willing to share our current feelings and how the pandemic is affecting our lives, but we also make time to laugh about more trivial things, such as different virtual backgrounds. Who says you can't completely remodel your bedroom — or travel to a tropical island — with a click of a button?
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