How to Stay Socially Healthy After COVID-19 Lockdown

The coronavirus pandemic has disrupted many lives. In an ideal infectious disease-fighting scenario, everyone would stay at home and never leave the house until the pandemic is over. This isn’t possible. The world needs to keep moving, and there are mental health ramifications of loneliness and losing contact with friends and family. It’s important to stay socially healthy while minimizing the risk of catching or spreading COVID-19. Although you might not be high-fiving your best friend anytime soon, you can socialize and connect with people around you. Keep reading to find out how to stay social in a new post-lockdown world.

• Stay Connected With Friends And Family While Socially Distancing
• Seven Ways to Stay Socially Healthy After the COVID-19 Crisis
  • Free Online Classes
  • Partner Up for Your Daily Exercise Routine
  • Go For a Hike or Walk
  • Take Part in an Outdoor Fitness Class
  • Head to a Drive-In Movie Theatre
  • Have Virtual Meet-Ups With Friends
  • Join or Start a Virtual Book Club
• Socializing Safely in a Post-COVID World

Stay Connected With Friends And Family While Socially Distancing

During lockdown, many people felt lonely. This really impacted their mental health. As human beings, relationships and social connections play a massive role in your overall well-being. With months of self-isolation and social distancing, it’s easy to start to feel a loss of human contact. Social isolation can result in a poor mood and physical health, including an increased risk of obesity and cardiovascular problems. 

It’s essential to stay connected with your friends and family. You can continue to share experiences and nurture relationships while following social distancing guidelines. It’s all about how you manage the risk. Top tips for safe socializing include:

• Meet outside
• Maintain social distancing 
• Wear a mask 
• Avoid crowded places
• Wash your hands 

These points have probably been drilled into you by now, but following the right guidance can help ease any worries while allowing you to socialize safely. If you can’t meet up outside for any reason, go somewhere with proper ventilation that’s COVID-secure. That means the establishment you want to visit has measures in place to minimize the spread of infection. 

Seven Ways to Stay Socially Healthy After the COVID-19 Crisis

Health is about more than disease prevention. As social creatures, having relationships and interactions has health benefits. Although you may only think of your body or mind when it comes to health, your social wellness is a big part of the puzzle. So, what is social wellness, and how can you integrate it into your life?

Social wellness is the meaningful relationships you have in your life and how you interact with those people. When you foster genuine connections with the people around you, it feels good and your health benefits. Even though the world is adjusting to a new normal after lockdown, you can continue to have meaningful connections and nurture genuine relationships. Here are seven ways to stay connected and socially healthy after the COVID-19 lockdown. 

Free Online Classes

If you’re spending more time at home, take the opportunity to jump on some free online classes. You can interact with the teacher and learn alongside online classmates. There’s a wealth of information you can access online to invest in yourself and expand your knowledge. During the peak of the pandemic, many businesses widened their free online training and trials. If you’re looking for free online classes, here are some great places to start: 

• SAS Academy for Data Science and Learning Subscription—free for thirty days
• Milk Street online cooking courses—free
• Class Central online Ivy League courses—free 

Partner Up for Your Daily Exercise Routine

Make the most out of your daily exercise routine and partner up with a workout buddy. Head to an outside space to get a workout in for the day with a friend. You can maintain social distancing while catching up and getting your sweat on. 

Go For a Hike or Walk

Meet up with a friend to hit your favorite trail or go for a walk around the park. Before you head out, double-check that the area you plan to visit is fully open and if they have any restrictions in place. Pack your own food, hand sanitizer, toilet roll, and anything you would need for a hike. If your trail is overcrowded, have a plan B ready to go so you can quickly go somewhere less crowded.

Take Part in an Outdoor Fitness Class

With some gyms still closed and others offering a reduced capacity experience, you may not want to rush back to the gym. Luckily, many fitness studios have taken their classes outdoors. Getting outside helps to lower the risk of infection as coronavirus particles disperse more quickly outdoors than indoors. Take your workout buddy to your nearest outdoor fitness class and feel the physical and social benefits.

Head to a Drive-In Movie Theatre

The coronavirus pandemic has kickstarted a revival for drive-in movie theatres throughout the country. Drive-in movie theatres may feel a bit like a blast from the past, but there are still three hundred and five of them in the United States. Enjoy your favorite movie, and get as close to a crowd as possible while maintaining social distancing in your car.

Have Virtual Meet-Ups With Friends

Video calls have become a part of daily life. From your workday to hanging out with friends, virtual meet-ups help you to stay in touch with friends and family from home. Arrange virtual hangouts with your friends and bring your trusty G&T. Other fun things to do at home include organizing a Netflix party or joining an online multiplayer video game.

Join or Start a Virtual Book Club

Creating a digital space to connect with like-minded individuals is a great way to interact with people. You have the option to join an existing book club or start your own. To get started, choose your communication and video platform, name your book club, and set a date for the first meeting. Start small and choose a book you think everyone will enjoy. 

Socializing Safely in a Post-COVID World

Although the coronavirus crisis has changed the way you hang out with your friends and family, it doesn’t need to isolate you. Finding ways to stay social in a post-lockdown world is essential. Your social health enhances your quality of life and benefits your physical and emotional wellness. Whether you want to start your own digital book club or head to your nearest outdoor fitness class with a friend, continue to enjoy experiences with your loved ones.