大象传媒

Are you running out of ideas for how to safely socialize this winter? Carolina experts explain why human interaction is important and offer tips on strengthening social bonds.

Kristen Smith Young, Community Relations,聽Wednesday, February 3rd, 2021

Nearly one year into the global coronavirus pandemic, do you find yourself falling out of touch with friends and colleagues? Or running out of ideas on how to safely socialize, especially as temperatures drop? After your thousandth Zoom happy hour, do you ask yourself, 鈥淲hy even bother connecting with others?鈥�

Mitch Prinstein has an answer. 鈥淪ocial relationships aren鈥檛 just for fun or entertainment. They are very important,鈥� said the John Van Seters Professor of psychology and neuroscience in the College of Arts & Sciences. 鈥淲e are biologically programmed to need them, to seek them, and our bodies respond dramatically when we don鈥檛 have them.鈥�

We all know by now that we have to stay masked and keep our distance, but there are still ways that you can gather this winter and feed the need for social interaction. Drawing on expertise shared by physicians and other health care professionals at聽聽and a few examples from Carolina staff and alumni, here are some ideas on how to stay close even when you have to keep your distance.

Get a coat.

Native North Carolinians aren鈥檛 oriented toward winter sports or spending time outdoors when the temperatures drop. How does the Triangle have an NHL hockey team? It might have something to do with the聽. But wearing the right outerwear should make it more bearable for Southerners to take part in outdoor activities.

鈥淟ayers are always a good idea, and the most vulnerable parts of your body are your fingers and toes and nose, so make sure you have a pair of gloves available and socks,鈥澛�. 鈥淚f you have little ones, a good rule of thumb is to dress them in one more layer than you鈥檙e comfortable in 鈥� both inside and outside.鈥�

Go for a hike.

Once you鈥檝e figured out what to wear, what should you do outside? 鈥淭here are plenty of places to go hiking and camping where you see very few people, so those could be good choices,鈥澛�, director of 大象传媒 Medical Center Infection Prevention. The聽聽has beautiful gardens, trails and preserves to explore. Or explore one of these聽聽within walking distance of campus.

Looking to get out and about throughout the Triangle? The Triangle Land Conservancy has a聽聽for any interested citizen 鈥� complete six hikes at six public TLC preserves within a year and win a membership to the conservation organization. If you鈥檙e interested in making strides before winter鈥檚 end, check out the conservancy鈥檚聽聽that runs through March 31.

Exercise together, even if virtually.

There are countless opportunities to get fit online, but sometimes you need a partner to keep you coming back to the computer. 鈥淔inding a friend to commit you to that workout will help you stay accountable,鈥澛�, wellness instructor at REX Wellness Center of Garner, North Carolina. 鈥淚f you have a workout buddy, that鈥檚 one of the best ways to be successful because you鈥檙e committing yourself to somebody else, and they鈥檙e committing to you, so you hold each other accountable.鈥�

In mid-March 2020, George Barrett, executive director of the Marian Cheek Jackson Center and a Carolina alumnus, started getting on Zoom for a quick exercise routine with two friends at the beginning of the pandemic. Their goal? To work up to 100 pushups. 鈥淚t became honestly the most regular and consistent things in our lives during the pandemic, because everything is so uncertain, everything was changing so much, there was so much going on. 鈥� It became a new life routine of being able to consistently see your close friends every day.鈥�

Reach out by phone or mail.

Even if you can鈥檛 connect in person, reaching out can still make you feel connected. 鈥淚 feel best when I text or call a friend each day, starting with 鈥楬ow are you doing?鈥� and ending with 鈥業s there anything I can do for you?鈥欌�澛�, director of 大象传媒 Tobacco Intervention Programs.

鈥淐ontact your best friend from elementary school, middle school or high school,鈥澛�. 鈥淭he lockdown has given us the opportunity to slow down 鈥� a lot 鈥� and reconnect with folks who were so important to us before, but whom we haven鈥檛 had the chance to think about for a while,鈥� Gaynes said. 鈥淔ind them, contact them, catch up.鈥�

And if you鈥檙e feeling creative, put together a care package for a far-away friend or family member.

If you must Zoom, have fun.

Online meetings have become a part of our daily existence. But when you鈥檝e been in front of a screen for your entire workday, you may be reticent to link up with friends using your laptop. The secret may be actually doing a fun activity when you鈥檙e virtual.

鈥淚t鈥檚 not just information exchanged through an interview. You have to actually have fun together,鈥� Prinstein said. 鈥淲hen you both share the same moment of fun, that creates the bonding.鈥�

Early in the pandemic School of Government employees Sonja Matanovic and Mary Judge created the 鈥淏ad TV Social Club,鈥� a weekly meeting to discuss the latest in binge-worthy television. They work together to pick the show, set an agenda and invite colleagues. All are welcome to join, even if they haven鈥檛 seen the latest episode.

鈥淲e followed the same format in order to make it easy for others to participate and for ourselves to replicate from week to week,鈥� said Matanovic. 鈥淲hen COVID happened, gone were all the lunches that you can have with your co-workers. Gone were all the snack breaks or the walks to the Law Bar or the errand runs with your co-workers 鈥� the little things you do to get to know each other outside of work, so this was a way to get to know your co-workers outside of work.鈥�

Help others.

One way to stay both safe and social is lending a hand to volunteer with local organizations. 鈥淰olunteering is both good for your body and mind. Volunteering can provide a healthy boost to your self-confidence, self-esteem and life satisfaction,鈥澛�, executive director of corporate and community relations at 大象传媒 Health.

Carolina Community Garden Program Manager Claire Lorch has taken great care to create a masks-on experience for volunteers who join a workday at the Wilson Street garden. 鈥淢ore so than ever we realize how valuable this resource is for people right now, not only for our recipients but for our volunteers. People are just so grateful to be able to do this,鈥� Lorch said. 鈥淧eople seem to be really pretty cautious, I would say, overall. Everyone wants to keep coming, so they follow the rules.鈥�

Volunteers work in two-hour shifts and support the garden in completing a variety of tasks including assisting with composting and preparing the soil for spring. Want to get your own hands dirty? Sign up to volunteer with the聽聽or with聽.

罢丑别谤别鈥檚听聽for how to stay positive during this challenging time. We hope these examples inspire you to reach out to a colleague or spend some time outdoors, so we emerge from this pandemic with healthy bodies and stronger bonds.

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