Staying connected
vital to mental health
Last weekend was a busy one. Our Friday night date night involved an amazing dinner of Thai takeout and our favorite wine; we chatted with a couple of friends after dinner when we ran into them while they were out walking their dogs. We did some garage clean up and lots of meal prep Saturday - followed by a great party with a group of friends in the evening!
We enjoyed drinks and munchies, played rock song trivia and chatted about our teens, the work week and all the other things that we typically would do. We capped off the weekend on Sunday with a “Wine 101” session with our friend who is a sommelier.
The only difference was we did all of this in the comfort of our own homes – virtually or from our front porch - and with NO contact.
This is our life now. This is life in a pandemic.
Finding ways to stay connected and social is vital, says Marcie Richardson, a registered social service worker and owner of Empower Counselling Services in Hamilton. “A lack of connection during a time of crisis leads to an increase of depression, anxiety and use of unhealthy coping strategies,” says Richardson.
For my husband and I, staying social has been key to remaining grounded during our self-quarantine. We are home with our teenaged sons and while the four of us have regular interactions, being connected to our friends and other family is also important.
Richardson says this is because maintaining connection with our community helps to decrease feelings of isolation, promotes wellness, hopefulness and a sense of stability in uncertain times.
Dan Kelley, a Waterloo region elementary music teacher, says finding ways to stay busy has not been a problem. In addition to his daily online teaching, which keeps him connected to his students, Kelley has been using social media outlets like Facebook (he plays a song a day on his ukulele and shares with a growing number of followers) and Zoom, Houseparty, Google Meet and FaceTime to chat with friends and family. A crafter at heart, he has also taken some time to make some unique jewelry, which he has also been able to share online.
Physical fitness has also become an important part of routine for many during this pandemic. For Tracey Carr Snyder of Oakville, power walking and online classes in yoga and HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) have been a vital strategy for staying healthy. An IT Consultant, Carr Snyder has continued working from home and making sure to incorporate physical activity every day has helped her to stay sharp and focused.
“I like the virtual connection – I feel like I’m having a session with a personal trainer at home,” she adds.
Other great ways to stay connected and help ward off ill feelings during this uncertain time:
- Be mindful of your house/home. Tackle those projects you have been putting off. A great sense of accomplishment comes from cleaning out a junk room or painting that bedroom!
- Take up a new hobby. Try something new, be it cooking, sewing, crocheting or indoor (or even outdoor) gardening.
- Get educated! Immerse yourself in a good book, follow a new podcast or catch up on that Netflix series everyone is talking about.
- Schedule an online games night or social gathering with your loved ones. It’s amazing how good you feel after a get-together with others going through this – even virtually! Some games you can play online include Euchre, Music Bingo, Codenames and Scattergories. The possibilities are endless!
- Don’t forget to unplug once in a while. While staying connected is important, it’s also good to know when to take a step back from social media say experts. All of this can be overwhelming and that’s normal. You may find it best to only check the news once or twice a day and then resume your normal routine.