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 United States has now begun to reopen and social gatherings are starting back up again (neither of which I condone because WE ARE IN A PANDEMIC), this does not mean that mental health is back on the rise. Social interaction is still few and far between, with the CDC recommending that social gatherings be limited in size. It seems that the only way to get your social fix is to have your set cluster of friends that you are being exposed to. If your social bubble is to get COVID-19, you will likely get the virus as well, but this seems like the safest method possible to interact.
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.
Although it may not be possible to see all your friends in person, especially if they are outside of your social bubble or living in a different area, make sure to check in with them. During these hard times, we all just want to feel loved and appreciated. Checking in with your peers is such a simple act and will make someone’s day. Try to set a date to talk via Facetime or on the phone just to see how they’ve been and are doing. If your friend feels comfortable enough to see you in person, ask to go on a social distance walk.
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.
Well-being may have decreased during this pandemic, but that does not mean that we should let it keep declining. COVID-19 has uprooted many of our lives and has resulted in us feeling alone at times. By simply communicating with friends and family that we haven’t spoken to in a while, or just need to catch up with, we can cheer up both ourselves and others.