Is Isolation Bringing Us Closer Together?

As COVID-19 continues to take the world by storm, it has been decided in many location it is “Safer at Home” and people are required to stay home for any non-essential activities. People are still allowed to do shopping and attend to medical needs. In any field where it is determined to be non-essential, businesses are shut down. In fields that are essential, where it is possible, a work from home order has been made. The world around us grows silent. If that sounds ominous it is not as grim as it sounds. 

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Since my daughter discovered technology, I constantly giving her grieve about the need to spend more time with friends instead of chatting and video conferencing with them. Little did I know they were leading the charge in what we are all now living. We are creatures of selective isolation. We live alone and operate independently. Fewer people are marrying and those that choose to have children tend to limit it to one or two. California in particular tends to a very transient town where many move here from other places and don’t have immediate family in the area. Our living situation typically reflect that, especially with younger people who live alone.  

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We are compensating for this by being super social. We use work as a place to connect with people and build bonds. We meet for brunch or dinner. We pack ourselves into concerts and amusement parks. If we don’t like the large crowds, we have dinner parties or meet for coffee. We say it is important to send kids off to preschool at an early age to learn social skills. Now, all of that is on pause and our selective isolation becomes a mandatory one. Or does it? 

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In what felt like hours, our office of over 200 people transitioned from 30 people who occasionally work from home to a full staff equipped and working remote. This is thanks to our spectacular management and IT team. While preparations where going on in the background, I believe the expectation was that only very key employees would be working yet here we are almost everyone working from home. Now people who know very little about technology are learning how to communicate face to face remotely. If you have a camera you can easily set up a video meeting. And, if you can do this for business, in a time of isolation, why not personally? It was only a day after the order to stay home was made before I was invited to a virtual Happy Hour. What a brilliant idea! Before I knew it, my calendar was filling up with more invitations than I ever had before and with cutting out traffic, the need to dress up, and all the other little things that fill up our time, I had more time available to accept.  

Video conference is not the only thing that brings us together. There is more checking in with friends, more hellos to our neighbors (from a distance of 6 feet, of course), and concern for our loved ones. The compassion is palpable. There are stories of drive by Happy Birthdays, wedding from windows, people shopping for those that cannot or should not. Look at any social media community page and you will see neighbors in support of their neighborhoods by encouraging ways to keep small businesses alive, helping the elderly, and just sharing overall encouragement. All of this says, we are there for each other. Personally, I feel like we will come out of all this with stronger bonds than we have ever known before. When we are all going through the daily routine of life, we forget how inner-connected we are and how much we need each other. Now, in our pause we are reminded.  

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There is no question there are those that have reverted to a mindset of that of a lone warriors who must protect themselves. This explains the odd shortage of toilet paper. Blame it on the slew of dystopian movies, novels, and shows that became a guide book to how to survive a situation where the world shuts down. I don’t think this message will reach them but is important to remember that we are all in this together. The weaken fabric of the world is being woven back together as we start to realize in order to survive and thrive, we need each other. COVID-19 shows us we are all human and we are in a situation where no one is immune. Nothing really separates us or sets us apart from one another not creed, color, gender, nationality, age or any other subset of group. Remember this and keep in touch with others outside your six foot bubble. Support them and let them support you. If you want to keep your distance and still be face to face, here are few ways to video chat almost instantly. 

• Zoom – Go to the website and set this up easily. Your guest will need to download the app to join you. I have used this option and the first 40 minutes are free. You can buy more if you would like. This is a live video call and you can see everyone on one screen at once. You can have up to 100 participants. This is my go to at the moment. 
• Facetime – Of course! Don’t forget if you if you have an IPhone you have easy access to video chat with other IPhone users. It should be already installed on your phone. If not you can easily download the app on your phone. 
• Instagram – This is my daughters favorite way to video chat (and she is somewhat an expert.) Honestly, I didn’t even know it was an option. If you have Insta go to your airplane button at the top, click the camera, select your participants and off you go! 
• And so many more… 
  • Google Chats 
  • Houseparty 
  • Facebook Messenger

Whatever option you choose, keeping in touch with people, especially if you get to see their faces and hear their voices, will lift your spirits and remind you are not alone even if you are isolating. 

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How are you dealing with your period of isolation? Love to hear any new suggestions on how you are staying positive during this undetermined time of isolation.