So we’re about two months into the stay at home order, at least here in Virginia. Every day starts to feel like the same day, and you find yourself falling into a rut. To make yourself feel better, you start looking through pictures and videos on your phone, and you begin to miss your friends, family, possibly even your coworkers. You begin to find yourself feeling lonely like you have no one to talk to, and it starts to weigh on your mental health. I’m here to tell you to snap out of it! Yes, you may be quarantined in your home and only allowed to leave for essential purposes, but that does not mean that you are alone. If you start feeling like you’re lonely and sinking into a hole of emptiness, here are a few ways for you to combat your loneliness and start feeling like yourself. 

The first suggestion is to try to keep yourself on a schedule. Yes, it may feel like the days are all running together, but implementing a plan will help you feel like you’re in control. Try to think of things that you would like to accomplish during the day, whether it is something big like a home project or something small like making your bed in the morning. A plan will make you feel like you are getting things accomplished and checking things off of your to-do list. 

Another idea is to stay informed. It’s good to be in the know of the latest updates related to the coronavirus, but ingesting too much information can make you feel overwhelmed and trigger some anxiety. Instead of reading the news multiple times a day, try to limit your news intake to once a day, maybe at 6:00 pm for the six o’clock news. By only watching the news once a day, you can control your news consumption and not feel overwhelmed by the constant changes in the press (because it is a lot!). 

Staying connected with friends and family is another way to fight isolation. Reach out to your friends and loved ones to see how they are handling this pandemic. Schedule a Zoom call with some of your friends and have a dance party! Staying connected with friends will make you feel like you’re not on a lonely island all by yourself, making you feel like there are people out there that love you and care about your well being. To go a step further, take it back to the old school and write a letter or postcard to a friend or loved one. Putting your emotions on paper can make you feel better, and it gives you something to look forward to by getting a response to your letter or postcard.

Finally, make some plans for your future. Write out some goals that you would like to accomplish, maybe even a bucket list of things you’ve always wanted to try. You could also plan something to do when you’re out of quarantine. By planning for your future, you are giving yourself something to look forward to when this quarantine is all said and done. Take this time that you have now to plan for your future so you can be the person you want to be when quarantine is over. 

Feeling like you’re alone can take a lot out of you. It causes you to second guess yourself and those around you. To feel better, you just have to remind yourself that there are people that care about you. You may not be able to spend time with them in person, but there are ways around that. Know that you are unique and that you are loved and that you are not alone. If you need help, look for it, and it will find you. We are all in this together, and this too shall pass. 

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