We’ve all gotten very familiar with the phrase “social distancing.” We hear it from our televisions repeatedly as we sit in our houses trying to slow the spread of this virus. And for introverts, like me, this is great. I’m finally doing the norm. Yet as a veteran social distancer, I can tell you that social distancing doesn’t mean cutting yourself off from social connections.
We have a benefit never before experienced in past pandemics, which is that our technology can connect us better than ever before. Zoom, Skype, FaceTime, Google Hangouts, etc. These video services, of course, are on top of traditional texting and calling options.
And I know, some of you with social anxiety might be reluctant to engage. You finally have an acceptable reason to avoid the world. I’ve been there. Yet mental illness thrives when we are isolated, and social connection is so important to managing mental illness during social distancing. If nothing else, these social connections push back on the lies of mental illness, the ones that say we aren’t worth people’s time. We are. I am. You are. We all are. This is why social connections are so important.
So please, while washing your hands and practicing self-care, please take the time to maintain the connections that are so important.
And until next time, be well.
The Dark Tales Project 