Page 15 - Mid Valley Times 8-6-20 E-edition

Thursday, August 6, 2020 | A15 | Mid Valley TiMes
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As the pandemic marches into its sixth month, with no end
in sight, the forced isolation it brings has started to take its toll. While shelter-in-place orders result in some of us sheltering with family or roommates, others of us end up sheltering alone.
e psychological di culty posed by
Now What?
isolation and loneliness is well-documented. us, while safeguard- ing our physical health and ghting the spread of COVID-19 in our community is critical, it is equally important to take active steps to safeguard our psycho- logical health while isolating.
Here are a few ideas for behaviors that can
11 Tips for Surviving (and Thriving) in Isolation
By Ro Linscheid
help you thrive during this time:
Learn a new skill.
Learn a new lan- guage (try the free Duolingo app). Edu- cate yourself about the world on Wikipedia. Check out courses on Skillshare, Masterclass, or Udemy. Follow tutorials on YouTube. is is a great time to learn something new!
Listen to podcasts.
Podcasts often in- volve groups of people having long-form con- versations, and listen- ing can feel like being part of the conversa- tion. Choose several podcasts about topics
that interest you, and listen routinely. Make sure you choose posi- tive, uplifting podcasts to incorporate into your day. Download Apple Podcasts on your iPhone or the Podbean app on your Android phone, and start searching for top- ics that interest you. Here are a few fun options:
° Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me - NPR
humor podcast about the week’s news.
° Short Wave - A daily science
podcast.
° Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend -
Conan interviewing celebrities.
° The Story Geeks
- Discussions of science fiction, fantasy and comic book movies.
° Hidden Brain - Audio essays on why we do the things we do.
Pick up the phone.
Our culture has got- ten out of the habit of talking on the phone, often favoring text messages, emails, and social media interac- tion. However, none
of these options o er the same level of social connection as hearing another person’s voice. Until this pandemic is under control, it’s time to dust o the old- fashioned social phone call!
° Don’t have anything new to talk to
your friends and family about? Check out the game “Vertellis” on Amazon,
which offers “conversation cards designed to get
you past small talk and have genuine conversations.”
° Make a list of the people you care about. Call and verbally connect with one person per day.
Video messaging.
WhatsApp, Zoom, FaceTime, and Google Hangouts all o er video chatting options. Also check out Marco Polo, a messaging app that allows you to record and send video messages to your loved ones that they can respond to at their lei- sure. It’s great for con- necting with friends or family in di erent time zones and keeping connected with others in a way that ts into their schedule, without the time pressure of coordinating a phone
11 Tips... Continued on Next H&F page
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