Humans were not meant to spend extended periods of time without interacting and socializing with other people. The past year has been difficult for many of us, and I’ve watched too many of my friends slip into a state of depression as they kept to themselves for the majority of their days. Here are some of the steps I took to keep my wits about me.
I Found A Way To Relax
So many of the early days of the pandemic were spent online shopping as I locked myself in my apartment as fear mongering continued on the news. One day, an ad for an intex hot tub showed up on one of my social media feeds, and I went for the impulse buy. I was lucky enough that its measurements were perfect for my large terrace, and I had set it up within an hour of its arrival. Nightly soaks in the hot tub were a great way for me to change up my routine and relax my thoughts. It also encouraged me to work out a little more because I wanted to know how it would help with sore muscles – and I can confirm that it does help quite a bit.
I Actively Avoided Social Media Sometimes
There is no way I was about to give up social media altogether, because yes, we’re all addicted. However, I did notice that my stress levels were skyrocketing whenever I browsed through my Twitter feed. It was full of misinformation, which was often contradictory. Many of the posts on my feed were actually designed to spread fear and not knowledge. I couldn’t handle the stress of constantly reading information that may not even directly affect me besides keeping me scared out of my mind. Once I reduced my social media time, I found myself calming down and thinking rationally about the pandemic.
I Kept In Touch With Those Who Matter
More often than not, we ignore the people who matter because we are too busy with our professional and social lives. Once I realized that I might not be able to visit my parent and siblings anytime I want, I quickly felt saddened by all the times I didn’t check in on them or keep in touch. So, even when we were miles apart, my family and I made a habit of having online dinners with each other over Zoom. It wasn’t perfect, but we made it work. It kept us from feeling the impact of the distance between us and the restrictions that were placed upon us. We actually communicated, talking instead of texting each other funny memes or clever posts. We told each other how we felt, as we realized that we might not get another chance to say it as the world was crumbling.
During the pandemic, I kept to myself, but I didn’t go mad in my solitude. There are a million ways to keep your mind occupied, and depressive thoughts shouldn’t even have a chance to control your life.