Below are a list of suggestions and recommendations that are both practical and therapeutic. Try one or try them all!
1. Allow your heart to crack open. Play music that evokes passion. Write a creative story where you are the protagonist on a grand adventure. Make a list of your most exciting desires. Read poems that stir the depths of your emotions.
2. Physical resources like a weighted blanket, body pillow, or pets in your bed are the next best thing to another human body and have all been proven to increase oxytocin (feel-good hormone) and lower cortisol (stress hormone) levels.
3. If you are experiencing Zoom fatigue, try connecting through alternatives like a virtual game night, family movie night through a/perture’s streaming service (aperture.org), on-demand symphony with the Winston Salem Symphony (wssymphony.org), or joining a virtual Improvment (movement) class through Wake Forest (improvment.us).
4. Choose a new activity or hobby that requires you to share with others, like photography or genealogy. Some creative pursuits actually require solitude and quiet centering, so this can help create meaning to your isolation.
5. Get involved with something bigger than yourself. Volunteer, get to know your local elected leaders, or take online classes, like Wake Forest’s Lifelong Learning series (continuingstudies.wfu.edu). Share your gifts, talents, skills and personality with others. Utilizing your strengths can be a meaningful way to boost your self-esteem.
