Connecting With People During the COVID-19 Pandemic: 8 Ways to Combat Loneliness & Find Happiness by Andi Simon

During the COVID-19 crisis, all of our lives have been disrupted. We're not connecting with family, friends and colleagues like we used to, and it's easy to feel lonely. To help some of the people I was coaching, I wrote down eight ways to combat this feeling and tested them on our business clients, executives and even some friends. What they found was they could, indeed, address their own sense of being alone and fill their days with well-being and even happiness. Here are my eight ways:

1. You can manage your mind. If you visualize each day as one filled with purpose and meaning, you will find that the act of being alone or distant from those you care about becomes less important. With a little practice, you really can train your mind to believe that it is happy without others. Seriously, collaborate with your mind. It will do exactly what it thinks you want it to do.
2. Exercise is especially important. It's an essential part of a healthy mind, body, spirit. Find a ritual every day that gets you up, walking, working out, biking – anything that is not sitting in a chair.
   
3. If you like to Zoom, set up a time with friends on a regular basis for tea or a cocktail hour. You will find that the week flies by as you look forward to the gathering, and the time spent together is priceless. Even with family, family Zoom time becomes remarkably sacred. It has in our home. But, our friends are also happily zooming in and we are all talking longer and deeper than we might ever in a restaurant.
4. If you are a Facebook person, join some new groups. In these groups you can share insights, things you have learned or want to know about or possibly new career paths you want to explore. Our "Rethink With Andi Simon" group has been growing beautifully with professional women from across the globe who want to help other women become the “best they can be.” Sharing has become a gift for each of them.
5. Plan weekends where you are at public spaces. Visit a park, a hiking trail or a playground, and talk to other people. Wear your face mask and introduce yourself. You will find that you and they will feel less lonely. I did a podcast once with a woman who was always on the airplane working in all kinds of places – much as I had been. She used to walk in the parks just to create the feeling that she was not alone. Neither of us were ever really alone, but we were often lonely. The walks always quieted our minds and engaged our spirits in healthy feelings.
   
6. Book groups are terrific on Zoom. Book clubs, where you can join others and discuss hot books together, are booming for good reason. If you have not joined one, find a theme that might reflect your own interests and see what you can do to get involved.
7. Tutor someone. Find ways to identify young people who would like a tutor for math or science or geology or anything that is your area of expertise. Sharing is an immensely powerful antidote for loneliness. The gift of giving will make your loneliness go away as acts of gratitude will make you feel purposeful and positive.
8. Cook! Make something (for others or maybe just yourself) and sit and eat it slowly. Savor each bite and enjoy all the different flavors and tastes.
   

COVID-19 may be keeping people apart, but with a little ingenuity and effort, we can find ways to connect – with ourselves and with others.

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