Socially Distant, but Social

 Humans are fairly social creatures. And the pandemic has put a big chink in the armor that helps keep us connected to each other and helps keep us from feeling alone. Even those of us who are introverted tend to enjoy—and very much currently miss—even the small social interactions that take place when grabbing a morning coffee, seeing co-workers in the hallway and more. 

Perhaps you had a number of Zoom “happy hours” with friends or family in the beginning of the pandemic, but if you’re like me, maybe you haven’t done this for a while. As time wears on and people get back to some semblance of normal—or get more depressed—some of these things have fallen away. But it’s important to take time to be social, not only for your mental health, but for your physical health as well. Here are some ways to get back into the swing of being social in a safe way: 

• Gather together outside—you can set up chairs on your lawn or in your driveway (6 feet apart) and invite a few friends, neighbors or family to hang out live.
• Celebrate via Zoom—birthday parties, trivia parties and “happy hours” are fun ways to remain connected. It’s easy to book a room via Zoom, Ring Central, Microsoft Teams or Google Meets to enable a family or friend get together. And there are many ways to make it a fun, engaging experience for all (Kahoot, for example, is a fun app where you can create your own trivia quizzes, invite friends and family and play together with your phones and a computer).
• Get creative—wine stores, sip and paint places, sign making places and many other creative businesses have switched from in-person to online options where you and some friends can each buy “kits” and then can enjoy a wine tasting, painting a beautiful picture, creating a sign or tray, and more together online.
• Get physical—take a socially-distanced walk, standing 6-feet apart or wearing masks so you can still talk, while getting out and about.
  • There are also many on-line workout classes where you can take a live class online with your friends, family or with a lot of other people who just want to get in better shape.
  • From yoga to HIIT and everything in between, some workout places are starting to offer outside, socially distanced workouts in new spaces, in their parking lots or in local parks too. 

The truth is there are many ways to remain connected and to feel less isolated. It’s easy to get wrapped up in our own worlds and forget to reach out, but it is truly an important thing to do. 

Gasber Financial is here to help you even in the most stressful of life’s situations. We’re here to talk about your accounts, the markets, or just shoot the breeze. And we’d love to hear your ideas for staying safely connected during these times.