A lot has changed within the last seven months since COVID-19 was declared a pandemic in the United States. Lock downs were initiated. Bars shut down (and then stupidly reopened). Masks became mandated. Many weddings and large gathering events were cancelled. And being able to see friends and loved ones became a struggle.
With all of this came a decline in mental health. It is only inevitable that the lack of social interaction, outside time, and sense of normalcy would result in one feeling down and depressed. According to preliminary surveys on COVID-19 and mental health, it was found that loneliness increased by 20 to 30 percent, and emotional distress tripled within the beginning months of the pandemic.
While the social bubble is great for many, what about those whose friends all reside in different social circles? If people are anything like me, you’ve never been one to have a set group of friends, but rather have had friends in many different social groups. This has created the dilemma of having to decide which friends to see and which friends to distance (and social distance) from. Without a social bubble, there is always the question of who have your friends been around? What have they been exposed to? Where have they been? The unknown ends up causing more harm than good in an already stressful situation.
Even if you’ve been out of touch, try to reach out to people! You could reignite a friendship. Who knows? We all know that life happens, and you are bound to lose touch with acquaintances, but reaching out to friends who you haven’t spoken to in a while, whether it be a phone call, Facetime, text, or even a social media comment, can brighten someone’s day.
