As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to keep us all isolated in the safety of our own homes, it’s important to remember that humans are social creatures who thrive on their connections to others. The five tips listed below will help you feel more connected to your family, friends and community at large and keep those feelings of loneliness at bay.
Commit random acts of kindness
They don’t have to cost a lot of money. Sending a friend an e-gift card for something as small as a cup of coffee can make their day during a time when “creature comforts” feel more sacred than usual. You can support a small business in your neighborhood by ordering a takeout meal from a local restaurant or buying a gift card to use in the future. Helping these businesses stay afloat during these trying times can mean the world to the owner and their staff. Know how to sew? You may be able to make masks that can be donated to hospitals and healthcare centers in your area. Knowing that you’re doing your part to help your network and your community will help you maintain your self-esteem and battle your own feelings of sadness, helplessness or smallness.
Connect with loved ones (from a distance)
Even just reaching out to say hello and to see how your loved ones are doing is a great expression of care. Thanks to technology, there are infinite ways to connect, and a little bit of human interaction will go a very long way during these isolating times. Whether it’s a hand-written letter or a simple text, your message will be appreciated. Netflix has even created Netflix Parties so you can watch your favorite movies and shows in sync with your loved ones and easily chat with one another while watching. You can also try these awesome online games if you’re looking for fun ways to keep one another entertained. Lastly, this senior home is looking for people to “adopt a grandparent” to help the elderly who are unable to see their loved ones feel less lonely.
Work on a family history project
We all have one that we’ve always wanted to complete, whether it’s a family tree, a collection of beloved recipes, a scrapbook of important photos, you name it! These passion projects are often neglected when we’re busy, but they’re the perfect tasks to tackle now that we all have so much free time. Projects like this are cozy, nostalgic and help you feel close to loved ones who may be physically far away or even deceased. Click here for more out-of-the-box ideas on things you can create. These keepsakes will last long after the coronavirus pandemic is over as valuable family heirlooms and embody positive activities that came out of this tumultuous time.
Get the band back together
Missing your college roommates? Former neighbors? High school basketball teammates? This is the perfect time to reconnect with people who you may not talk to as often as you’d like. During this time of social distancing, we are all really aching for connection, and connecting with people from your past is a great way to feel more at peace and less alone. While it’s important that we continue to physically distance ourselves from one another to stop the spread of COVID-19, there is still so much we can do to fight feelings of isolation during this time. However, don’t forget to keep healthy boundaries and not let any toxic friends, family members or exes back into your life.
Support important causes however possible
Although most of us may not be directly caring for anyone with coronavirus, there are still so many things we can do to support those who have been deeply affected by the virus and the quarantine. Reaching out to support your community through donations of food or goods, monetary contributions, volunteering your time, or even just sharing campaigns on your social media can be incredibly helpful during this pandemic. Not only is your support absolutely invaluable, but doing your part for your community will aid you in feeling less helpless at this time.
These ideas just make good logical sense. Another thing that makes good logical sense is allowing employees to access their earned pay every day. If you want help with this, please reach out to us here.
We published another blog post in this series called, “The Quarantined Economy: Stress Reduction Hacks,” that provided a few tips om what you can do to reduce stress during this difficult time.
DailyPay also recently hosted a webinar in which we discussed what we are doing as a company to help our remote workforce stay connected and engaged through this unprecedented time. Some of what we are doing may help your company as well.
