Seek and Maintain Social Connections

By Amie L. Grant, WTI. 

One of the hardest things during this time for many of us is the isolation from our friends and family.   

Being physically isolated doesn’t mean you have to be socially isolated.  We’re lucky to live in a time when technology exists that can help us stay connected to those who are important to us.  Whether that means having a FaceTime call with a family member, a Zoom happy hour with friends, or online gaming, there are lots of options out there to engage with the people we care about. 

Remember to check on those people who live alone or may need assistance with getting groceries or other services.  Letting them know someone cares about them and how they are doing most likely means more than you know. 

Don’t ignore your mental health 

If you are feeling overwhelmed, depressed, anxious, or are having other issues tied to your mental health, don’t just try to push those feelings down and ignore them.  Check in with yourself and how you are feeling on a regular basis.  Many of us are dealing with an increase in stress as a result of the major changes to our every day lives and these stressors can exacerbate existing mental health issues. 

If you haven’t tried counseling before, this might be a great time to start!  Most counseling services are offering video and phone sessions, which is a pretty painless way to check out if it is something that might be helpful to you.  If your employer has an Employee Assistance Program, they will often cover the cost of initial counseling appointments.  If you are looking for a reputable counselor or therapist in your area, you can search on a website like www.goodtherapy.org.  And if you’d rather do everything from your phone, try something like the apps Talkspace and BetterHelp, where you can text and have phone and/or video sessions with licensed therapists.  

Staying informed, to a point 

It can be hard with everything going on in the world not to get caught up in the 24-hour news cycle.  But being constantly bombarded with news can have a seriously negative impact on you.  Try to limit your media (this includes social media, too!) consumption to certain times of the day and resist checking the news throughout the day. 

Unfortunately, there is a lot of misinformation being spread about the coronavirus, especially on social media.  Try to stick with sources that you can trust, such as the CDC or the World Health Organization.  Your local health department likely has accurate information available specific to your community.   

Focus on you and what you can control 

If you are feeling overwhelmed, you are certainly not alone.  One thing that might be helpful is to focus on those things that you have control over.  You have the power to exercise the health and safety practices proven to stop the spread of COVID-19: washing your hands, maintaining social distancing, wearing a mask when you go out, etc., but you can also make a point to take care of your own health.  Eating healthy meals, getting enough sleep and staying active are all things you have control over that can help you stay healthy and keep your immune system strong. 

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