With the government just announcing that the quarantine will now be in place until April 30, a lot of people are wondering when and if we will be done with this. The outbreak of COVID-19 has now started to reach its peak in the U.S., which means that social distancing has become more important than ever during this time. However, a lot of people like me are probably facing the same issue with being self-quarantined, which is the fight against loneliness while being isolated from friends and family members. However, just because you're stuck at home does not mean that you can't find ways to socialize with others using online sources or find other ways to fight off loneliness. Here are eight ways to prevent yourself from feeling lonely while self-quarantined at home!
1. Message or Video Chat With Friends
Just because the government says to start social distancing doesn't mean that you should distance yourself socially from your friends. It's always good to Skype or video chat with your friends during this time! A lot of people have even started watching movies together with their friends over video chat. Make sure you take the time to catch up with your friends once in a while.
2. Try Virtual/Online Dating
If you're feeling lonely because you don't have a significant other to spend time with or because you can't date anyone at the moment, try online dating. With the quarantine in place, many online dating websites have started to create a virtual dating experience. There are also a lot of colleges that are following the same measure where they are also hosting virtual activities for their students. So take the time to set up dinner and have a virtual date rather than let yourself feel too lonely!
3. Use Social Media To Start An Online Party
A lot of people have gotten extremely creative and started having a video chat party. Basically, you can party at home but video chat with others to have them join. People have also started celebrating happy hour online with their friends. It's a great way to keep yourself from feeling lonely since you're engaging in social activities with others.
4. Create Online Activities
There are also other online activities that you can create to share with others while video chatting. You can have an online board game night, bingo night, or karaoke with friends or family members! Whatever it is, try using your creativity to engage in social events with any of your friends or family members!
5. Spend Time With Pets
If you have a pet at home, now is a good time to start spending more time with them. A lot of people have already started sharing pictures of them spending quality time with their pets on their social media! Spending time with your pets is also a great way to fight off any loneliness that you feel during this time. And if you don't have a pet, right now would be a good time to consider adopting or fostering a pet!
6. Read More Often
Reading can really take you into a fictional world and provide a great outlet for staving off loneliness. One good part about being quarantined is that you finally have plenty of time to start reading the books that you've probably been dying to read! And there are tons of books to choose from! You can either use your Kindle to start reading or order books online.
7. Take A Virtual Exercise Class
There are now tons of virtual exercise classes that you can choose from to participate in at home. What's nice about taking an online exercise class is that there are a lot of people who join, which allows you the opportunity to socialize with others or meet new people online. Plus, there are some classes offered that are free to join.
8. Complete Some Of Your Favorite Hobbies At Home
And finally, try spending some time completing any hobbies at home. If you enjoy writing stories, then take the time during the day to start writing any stories that you have in mind. If you enjoy drawing, painting, reading, or writing poems, then you should do any one of those things at home! With the effect of the quarantine in place, you now probably are finding yourself with a lot of time on your hands. You can set aside the time that you have to do any of the things that you enjoy doing at home. Plus, completing a hobby at home will help take away some of the stress or loneliness you may start feeling from being stuck in your house.
So if you find yourself beginning to feel extreme loneliness, you should try any one of the things on this list! It can be easy to fall into depression and loneliness while being quarantined at home, especially if you're the only one in your household. However, if you make time to complete any one of these things, you begin to start feeling less lonely and start feeling happier while stuck at home!