In dire need of socialization! Isolation stinks!

[holden]

We have a bubble of neighbors that we hang out with. We haven't really seen much of family because they don't live as close to us as the people next door.

 

[NFLDERS]

Ok, there, I said it! I am SO tired of my 4 walls! I won't go into detail, but just wondering what you all do to add socialization to your day when you are stuck indoors? Not even the sun has been out for several days and that definitely has an impact on my mood.

Do you know of any fun Zoom groups? Podcasts and tv shows are fine, but LIVEstreams and the ability to interact are so much better. I have a few friends and family members to FaceTime with, but I need more!

Can anyone relate?

I can and I'm in between Niagara Falls, and Toronto Ontario. We are fortunate to be able to go for car drives. I'm behind in my Covid19 Dis reads. So.. I'm going out on a limb here, but going to guess there's a lot of favourable replies and good suggestions. Personally my greatest support besides my Dh is our virtual Sunday visits with my two brothers and sisters-in-law.

 

[NFLDERS]

I like the dis, it fits me just right

Eh! And you Jayson are befitting the Dis too.

 

[NFLDERS]

I’m a single mom working from home so I’ve had to get creative to ever talk to adults.

 

[NFLDERS]

I understand completely. Other than two short visits with my son (around Christmas), I have not socialized in person with another human being since Halloween. It is very difficult. Of course, that doesn’t include the 2.5 months I was totally alone from mid March to early June.

All I can say is that I have set my mind that this is how it has to be for now and that I will get through it. I text, email and call my friends & family to stay connected. My relationships are strong and they will survive this. My goal is for all of us to survive it.

In a non-COVID world, I would be boarding a beautiful cruise ship today headed to the Caribbean. Oh well, maybe next year.

We were to go on a Cruise for our 50th coming up next month. I CAN REALLY RELATE.

 

[Karin1984]

Make sure you get enough exercise and fresh air. I do hope you have a garden or a balcony you can use to get some air.
If you can/want add fish oil and vitamin D to compensate for not going out. Those two can also help you improve your mood.

 

[NFLDERS]

The isolation was very hard for me at the start. Now though , with each passing day, as the numbers keep increasing and the deaths are rising and the hospitals are in crisis, I have a different view. Every day in isolation with the only human contact the people in my household, is a day that keeps me and the people of my household safe from Covid. I will not play Russian Roulette with my health and the health of people in my household. Every day in isolation is a day that I don't fear Covid. I know I am Covid free, I know the people in household are Covid free and we intend to stay that way. I did not get Covid in 2020, members of my household did not get Covid in 2020, and we plan to remain Covid free for 2021 and get the vaccine as soon as it is available to us.

Instead of seeing your home as prison keeping you inside, see it as a sanctuary, keeping Covid outside

HEAR! HEAR!
This Irish Canadian totally agrees.

 

[NFLDERS]

I understand completely! I'm a solo household and pre-COVID I spent very little time sitting at home. I performed shows regularly with an improv group. I traveled quite a bit (usually cruises because it was easy to socialize and meet people). I loved live theatre and had a couple of theatre subscriptions and regularly made weekend trips to NYC to catch shows. If I wasn't away traveling, I would always find stuff to do on the weekends to be out and about.

Initially it was incredibly challenging dealing with the feeling that my wings had been clipped and I was now perpetually grounded.

With my improv group, we figured out a way to move our weekly shows online via Zoom (in meeting mode so they remained fully interactive with audience participation). So I'm back interacting with them weekly and we've picked up some new audience "regulars" from elsewhere in the U.S.

I follow a few youtube/facebook livestreams that have active "chat" communities -- Stars In the House (fundraisers for The Actors' Fund) and UJokes. I've also bought tickets for livestream shows from comedy performers I follow. Some are viewing-only, some are more interactive with audience on-camera in Zoom (shows at Nowhere Comedy Club do this).

I figured out that one of the positive things about the pandemic was that activities that moved online are accessible from pretty much anywhere. So I jumped on the opportunity to take classes with Freestyle Love Supreme Academy via Zoom and joined that community. Then I started looking for more improv classes as a way to use up my PTO from work. That led me to the core track program with the Groundlings.

Another one of the many, many silver linings that may come out of yet another world tragedy.

 

[MIGrandma]

I am an only child, so spent a lot of time alone while growing up. I had friends but didn’t spend 24/7 time with them of course, so I learned a long time ago how to enjoy my own company and that has definitely helped me in this pandemic. We were in Gatlinburg when all this really got started, so our trip was cut a little short. But then came spring, summer and fall so I had outdoor things to keep me busy. I am basically one who actually enjoys hibernating in the winter. Of course my husband is here so I’m not really alone but he spends 8-10 hours at his desk most days for his job. And our son is here 1-2 weekends a month as he is a long distance trucker and our house is his home base. But I have lots to keep me busy, lots of hobbies and I spend time reading and watching movies too. Getting some fresh air by going for a daily walk is quite important to me and I think it can really help to improve a person’s mood to do that. It will be spring again in a few weeks and hopefully by then we will have gotten the COVID vaccine, and we will be spending time outside again, going camping, etc. I am optimistic in thinking that one day life will hopefully get back to normal.

 

[NFLDERS]

I absolutely agree. Under Welsh rules I am allowed to leave the house to exercise locally once a day, so the dog and I go out once a day for a long walk. However, it is getting more difficult to avoid other walkers.
I try to have some routine, read for an hour, potter in the garden for an hour etc., and I have forbidden myself to put the television on before 19.00. Totally switched to online shopping and foodboxes (thank you Riverford Organics). I ‘read’ this forum and the Dibb, TPs and follow a limited number of public figures on Twitter, a mix of U.K. politicians, news sites, actors like John Cleese and Anthony Hopkins, some restauranteurs and ‘across the pond’, Don Winslow, George Conway, MeidasTouch etc.
I find the early dark evenings particularly long.

Gotta ask is it cost prohibitive that has you without tv until 7 pm? My TV goes on way before that! lol..

 

[RamblingMad]

I do a zoom bookclub. I'm sure you can find one near you that also does zoom.

 

[Welsh_Dragon]

Gotta ask is it cost prohibitive that has you without tv until 7 pm? My TV goes on way before that! lol..

No, I just hate the thought of wasting the day watching nonsense. I am retired, so I can do what I like, when I like (subject to Welsh lockdown rules) but I like to have some structure to my day.

 

[thewishfire]

I got laid off in March (permanently so a few months ago) so I have been home a LOT! I recently got a job where I'm on the phone most of the day, and it's nice to talk to people. My boyfriend and I also have a (very) small bubble of people we feel comfortable seeing from time to time (2 people/1 household!) mostly outdoors, even though it's cold now.

Beyond that I like to Zoom with friends every one in a while, watch people stream video games and music performances on Twitch (which has a chat function), and I'm thinking about starting to write some letters to friends out of state, which will be a nice change from only digital interaction. I also have a few group chats on FB messenger that have been pretty active since March.

I also do 'car coffee' meet ups with a couple of friends, where we will separately get coffee and sit parked in adjacent spaces in our own cars with the windows down (and masks on when we aren't drinking) and just chat and spend some distanced time together.