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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at UCSB chapter.

If you’ve spent a considerable amount of time stuck at home due to the pandemic, and while scrolling through all the apps on your phone, you noticed contact with your friends has been nonexistent, you’re not alone. Staying at home is the best thing you could be doing right now. It’s great for the health of your fellow Americans but probably damaging for those friendships. 

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The great thing is that the damage isn’t permanent! And it’s likely that a distanced friendship is one of the easiest things you could repair while still in quarantine. There are numeral ways that you can fix a friendship that’s waned. It’s important to keep in mind that all the feelings you’re experiencing due to the pandemic, your friend is most likely experiencing them too. 

The first recommendation is to reach out! Yeah, being the first person to text isn’t the easiest thing to do, but if you want to keep the friendship, it’s important to remain humble and reach out to that friend. I like to pretend they’ve been dying to contact me; a little imagination to help boost the ego works wonders when you’ve got to do something out of your comfort zone. 

Ask your friend what they’re up to. Don’t be afraid to let them know this time has overwhelmed you. 

Monica and Rachel high-fiving
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Let’s talk about Zoom. Yes, Zoom is terrible when it comes to breakout rooms, but utilize it! If you have a friend group and it’s been ages since you all got to hang out, throw a Zoom party. Send everyone your meeting ID and start chatting like no time has passed. Zoom is great for one on one chats too, and before you know it, zooming one another is the new meet-up at Starbucks. 

To keep your friendships during this time, remember that the person you may be distanced from is still your friend, and whenever the pandemic is over, you’ll both be there for one another. You don’t have to communicate every day! Small but constant communication works wonders. Send each other random TikToks, the occasional weird snap, or even quick texts. Remember, the smallest interactions go a long way when it comes to those that you love.

 

Janiah Wallace is a senior Communication major, double minoring in English and Applied Psychology. Wallace has made her way from the Bay, to the Valley, and now resides in the great Isla Vista. Janiah never knows where her day will take her. She tends to fall into the occasional novel, or find herself entranced with a new tv series. After the completion of her degree she hopes to continue exploring, finish her various novels, and cement herself in the public relations and entertainment industry.