Sammi Jo
This isolation has been difficult for all of us. Being trapped inside, unable to interact with the outside world unless you are an essential worker. Now more than ever is a time to be checking in on the ones that we care about. Here are 4 easy solutions to communicate with the people you care about without leaving your house!
Pick up the phone and call
In this day and age, we spend the majority of our time texting those we care about. The art of phone skills is starting to fade. I know personally I dread having to speak to others on the phone for long periods of time. It is like this overwhelming fear comes over me. Unfortunately, I am not alone in this. So many people I have spoken have said the same thing: “why should I talk on the phone when they can just text me?” In the day and age of multi-tasking, people do not want to have to stop what they are doing just to have a conversation. But now, more than ever, pick up that phone. Talk to your friends, your loved ones, even a neighbor to break up this routine. Everyone is stuck at home; you do not know how much you or they may need that sudden break.
Have a Zoom/Skype/Facetime Party
Thankfully we are in this pandemic during a time where we can communicate fairly easy with those around us. Just because we cannot spend time face to face with those closest to us, why not schedule a zoom party (or any other video conferencing you feel comfortable with). The best part? If you angle the camera correctly, you wont even have to put pants on. Grab a cup of coffee, some wine, food, whatever you want and call up all your friends. Spend the time you would have spent in person but do it from the comfort of your own home. Personally, as an introvert, this is a dream come true. I get to spend time with those I care about with out having to worry about driving home after or having to dress up/get ready.
Start a Zoom Club
Interested in movies, in books or certain celebrities? Why not start a Zoom (or any other video conferencing available) club? This could be set up weekly, biweekly or even every other day if you so desire. This is a fantastic way to stay connected while talking about common interests with others. It is also another way to keep active during the day when you are not spending time interacting with others. It can help break up the redundancy of the day and be good for your mental health.
Write a Letter
Finally, let’s bring it around old school! Break out the pen and paper and write someone a letter! A lot of people have stopped doing this since the dawn of emailing, texting and the social media. This method of communication I find to be so much more personal. During this time, there is a lot of self-reflection going on within people. This could be the perfect way to get the feelings you have inside out so that the other person knows. Writing a letter could also give the person you are sending it to an unexpected surprise. They most likely wouldn’t be expecting it and it could be the little something that gets that person through that day.
It is important during this time that we all stay connected. We need to work with each other, do daily check ins and get through this together. Through this, we can only get stronger.
