{"id":435,"date":"2020-11-20T11:31:33","date_gmt":"2020-11-20T16:31:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rachelfreedlandmsw.com\/?p=435"},"modified":"2020-12-18T15:11:59","modified_gmt":"2020-12-18T20:11:59","slug":"is-an-isolating-covid-winter-friend-or-foe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rachelfreedlandmsw.com\/pt\/is-an-isolating-covid-winter-friend-or-foe\/","title":{"rendered":"Is an Isolating COVID Winter Friend or Foe?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Staying in a state of prolonged aloneness can be a paradoxical beast. On the one hand, it causes us to avoid stressful social situations, and on the other, we still want and need friendships and deep connections with others<\/p>\n

This is all made more complicated by the looming reality of a COVID winter with almost no social interaction opportunities.<\/p>\n

COVID quarantine has been hard, but the spring and summer gave us safe options to interact and socialize outdoors. The warm weather invited us to meet others for walks, hikes, picnics, and even concerts, as open spaces lowered the risk of transmission.<\/p>\n

But as we close out of fall and enter winter weather, the pandemic continues with no end in sight. As the weather grows colder and the days get darker, we are less able to socialize outdoors, and indoor settings might still be unsafe. We feel disconnected, isolated, and lonely.<\/p>\n

As Sharon Salzberg<\/a> states: “Throughout our lives, we long to love ourselves more deeply and to feel connected to others. Instead, we often contract, fear intimacy and suffer a bewildering sense of separation. We crave love, and yet we are lonely.”<\/p>\n

The social dilemma of a Covid Winter
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For those of us who feel more comfortable spending time alone, the winter-COVID combination could mean less stress in the short-term<\/strong>. However, this situation is ultimately harmful. We all need to feel connected, and after a prolonged isolation of several months, it is even harder to reacclimate to social environments. This means that once the winter gives way to spring and the pandemic subsides, we will have an even harder time connecting and relating to others.<\/p>\n

Even though socializing might be hard, NOT socializing actually makes things worse because of our inborn need for connection. It removes the opportunity to practice our social skills and increases our sense of disconnection.<\/p>\n

Seeking new forms of social connection<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The pandemic hasn’t removed all forms of social interaction: it simply changed the landscape. Here are some great social options that can help with of a COVID winter:<\/p>\n

Regular video chat sessions, where you might:<\/p>\n