The Power of Connecting With People

With stay at home orders being the norm over the last year, so many of us have withdrawn from society and friends. We’re not meeting for lunches anymore, our social hangouts are either closed or only open limited hours. Heck, some of my kids are still on weird hybrid school schedules.

It’s been really easy to disconnect and isolate yourself, especially for those who are introverted and naturally gravitate towards being alone.

In case you’re wondering, I do not fall into the “introverted” camp at all. But with required social restrictions, I’ve really found myself staying home much more than I’d like. Even when things started opening up, and even with the option to gather outside.

I recently had to drop something off at Jack’s friend’s house and when I handed it over to his mom, I found myself talking…and talking…and talking. I don’t even remember what I was talking about; I just remember finding it difficult to stop.

I’ve been craving in-person connections. In a big way.

We’ve been following the social distancing guidelines and interacting with a small pod of people, but after that exchange, I realized that I needed to work to find more ways to connect with others. Safely.

Here are some ideas:

• Meet up outside. I’m lucky that in Arizona, this is one of the best times of the year to get outside. Walk the dogs with a friend, meet at an outdoor cafe for a cup of coffee, have a picnic at the park. If you’re in a colder climate, build a snowman together or go snowshoeing!
• Set up a Zoom date. If you’re not able to get outside, a Zoom date might be a good option–assuming you’re not already exhausted from Zooming for work! You can also download the mobile app and Zoom while you’re walking around the house or taking a walk on your own.
• Connect at home in different ways. You might be tired of board games and television with the people you live with, but that might also be your reality right now. Find some new things to do with those you’re homebound with. Play charades, put on a play, start (or finish) a big project at home, put together a giant Legos set, start a handmade product business. There’s a lot you still haven’t done together and this is the perfect time to soak it all in.

It’s been a really difficult year for so many people, and I truly believe that it’s our disconnection from our regular lives and the people around us that’s wreaking the most havoc on our emotional well-being.

Make it a point to reach out and reconnect with someone you miss today!