How NH Residents are Coping With Social Isolation

Some of us are alone, others are spending a lot of family time together. Between homeschooling the kids to worrying about our loved ones who are isolating alone, this time can be super stressful. Unionleader.com reports on ways to cope with the stress of isolation or too much together time.

Try to get outside every day. This can be especially challenging for parents with young children who do not understand why they can’t ride their bike around the block or why they can’t have friends over. One nice tip from the Unionleader.com article was using technology to bring us together. Try Facetiming friends or using an App that allows you to connect with your friends and family that are alone right now. Something as simple as seeing a smile can go a long way toward making a human connection, even if you can’t be there in person.

Many are finding new ways to connect like the one set up at St. Katherine Drexel Parish in Alton and Wolfeboro. They use something called Flocknote to have a group of volunteers check in on the elderly. It was used as a way to convey information to local parishioners in the past, but it is proving to be very helpful during this crisis. Many older residents and more used to the phone than computers and technology and the simple act of making a phone call and reaching out can help the elderly cope with their fear and sense of isolation.

I think we will come through this crisis and be a little kinder afterward. We are all in this together, even if we are physically alone.