According to Vasan, in-person social connections are ideal since they engage all of the body’s five senses. If possible, she recommends safely meeting up with friends outdoors and with a mask.
That said, video chat, phone calls, and letters are still beneficial tools for social connection and mental health. Anyone with a greater risk of illness from COVID-19, who is living with someone who’s vulnerable, or who is not yet comfortable with social-distance meetups, should consider these alternatives.
“While vicarious or indirect experiences of social contact are not the same as direct experiences,” Parker says, “they can and do have an impact on our moods.”
Parker also recommends using this time to find pleasure in your own company. Loneliness is not meant to be endured as a state of being, she says, but periods of aloneness can be used for reflection and rejuvenation.