The COVID Pandemic has made it hard for us to stay connected and maintain relationships in the usual ways. With imposed lockdowns and cancelling of any social events we are having to find other ways to maintain and nurture our relationships during this time.
Below are a few ways to do this and a few things to consider too when trying to maintain your social circle and relationship with loved ones whether you are living together or not.
Ways to maintain good relationships
Below are some small things we can all do to help maintain good relationships during lockdown but also are good to do in everyday life post lockdown too.
Make time for people – Everyone’s schedules are a bit up in the air with lockdown, but always try to keep some time aside to catch up with friends and family, whether that’s a phone or video call, or spending some quality time with the ones you live with.
Be engaged – Pay attention to people, make sure you’re properly listening and not distracted by your phone or work or anything else. This is greatly appreciated by others and this will often be reciprocated.
Be open and honest – Allow yourself to open up and share if there is anything bothering you, give others the chance to listen and offer support. Opening up helps to build and maintain trust in relationships.
Use technology to stay connected
In the age of technology there is no shortage of ways to stay in touch during lockdown. You have the ability to instant message friends and family on a range of platforms, social media, messaging apps, texting etc. You can also video call people, or even group calls using your phone or web applications, actually seeing the person you’re connecting with brings a bit more of a personal touch. There are plenty of options out there, make sure you utilise them to maintain relationships. If you are savvy with this tech, make sure you help those that aren’t get setup so they too can keep in touch.
You can also use these platforms, web forums and social media to connect with new people. Whether you connect with a group that focusses on some shared interests, or a friendly group you can chat to, it is often nice to mix it up and build new friendships.
Maintaining relationships at home
It is intense to be on lockdown with friends and loved ones, frustrations can build and put strain on relationships, taking a proactive step to avoid tensions rising can make all the difference. Create some house rules taking into account the above to help mitigate building tensions. Setting a time for spending quality time together on a regular basis can help maintain relationships, others may find everyone chipping in to help around the house might give others a sense of use when they feel there is nothing else to do. Create a place where people can share how they’re feeling without being scrutinised, a place where people can share if they’re struggling with anything and work out a solution. Each household could benefit from different things so assess the situation and make some suggestions that could work for yours.
Try to understand others and be patient
The stress and anxiety caused by lockdown affects us all differently, but it is common for these stresses and frustrations from lockdown to make us and others easily irritable. With this in mind we may find ourselves being more snappy than usual or having less patience with others and vice versa. To avoid this putting strain on your relationships it is best to consider that this frustration is heightened by the situation and perhaps not a true representation of how you or they feel. By understanding this it will help you recognise a situation before it becomes something bigger than it is.
More information
If you would like to view the Webinar on ‘Keeping connected and maintaining relationships during the pandemic’ is being delivered live on Friday 12th March at 12:00pm-12:30pm, please use the following link to register for this session –
https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/5008978465673812750
If you are unable to join the webinar live, a recording of the session can be accessed using the same link above after the webinar has taken place.
If you feel you may need some support, you can contact Care first. Care first is a leading provider of confidential, professional counselling, information and advice services. All employees are eligible to use Care first, our services include; telephone counselling, information services and online support. Call Care first on the Freephone number provided by your organisation and
you can speak to a professional in confidence.