It’s hard to make relationships right now, whether that be romantic relationships, friendships, heck it’s hard to stay acquaintances with a work colleague right now!
It can make your bubble feel suffocatingly small if you find yourself only really being able to speak to your family and one or two close friends, while work/ school meetings go by without most people saying a word.
So how do we create relationships during this time? We can’t ask someone to meet for coffee but we also can’t just waste away with no social stimuli for the next… however long this pandemic is going to take. So here are some ways to create relationships.
Online Fandoms or Dating Sites: I don’t think I have ever joined an online fandom or dating site, but I have heard so many success stories of people meeting their best friends on these websites and meeting their significant others through Tinder or Bumble. I’m sure there are so many other places online to meet new people that I ( a very unsavvy internet person) can not even fathom. But my ultimate advice is if you have been wanting to join one of these online spaces for a while just try one out, leave a couple comments or reach out to a person who seems interesting to you.
Photo via static.pexels.com/
Ask Classmates/ Co-workers for Virtual Hangouts: I would feel completely friendless without my classmate besties since the pandemic started, we play online games, are in multiple group chats together and try to “hang out” together every so often, (which is just mainly us over discord streaming our voices and talking or playing Jackbox). But without these hangouts my circle would feel incredibly small and I would feel a lot more lonely.
So if you’re feeling overly isolated try reaching out to someone who runs in the same circles as you (meaning like school or work). Maybe there is a classmate that you are always in group projects with that you really like and want to get to know more, or you want to start talking to one of your favourite co-workers again, it’s a good thing to reach out. If anything you gain a stronger friendship in the process and they feel flattered by you asking. It can be scary but worth it.
Invest in the Relationships you already have: Your bubble might feel really tight especially if you are living at home with your parents again. But this can be a good time to learn about their past and really get to know who your family members are outside the family. Or to call up a friend or an extended family member and really get into conversations that are not just about the current climate of the world. Try to find new ways to spark up your current relationships, you’ll (hopefully) come out loving them more.
Photo via understandingteenagers.com.au/
Relationships of any kind are tricky, give yourself time to develop them.