How to rediscover your independence, reinvigorate social life at this stage of pandemic

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This should be easy to fix in theory, but some of my old go-to activities no longer exist and I feel like I lost touch with a lot of people due to how people prioritized contacts over the course of the pandemic. What also makes it hard is that people are still approaching covid risks differently, so it's still feeling awkward initiating social activities.

What are good ways to re-connect with people you haven't seen in a long time? What about meeting new people? I've started to give meetup a try - seems kind of crazy, but I need things like that where I'm engaged on my own, as opposed to only having an identity through my spouse or kids.

Does this sound familiar to anyone reading this? What works/helps in this kind of situation?

What were your old go-to activities? Does it still exists but maybe altered due to COVID? If there is a way to continue your interests and interact with people that share your interest, even if it’s virtual, outdoors, or on a smaller scale due to COVID, you should still look into pursuing it.

To reconnect with people, either text or email to find out how they are doing and maybe a short update on how you are doing. In some ways, I got closer to one group of people that I was just getting to know when everything shut down. It started as a group text with 3 people because we were a group that did some meetups prior. It was to check in on everyone and share both funny and sometimes frustrating things - to keep in touch since we couldn’t see each other in person. I’ve found having a small group texting sometimes takes the pressure off of being the one to keep conversation going plus my friends are really finer and play off each other in some of the responses. If there is a topic only relevant to one person, we will have one on one texts. We just started meeting in person since everyone got vaccinated but I will say everyone in general is comfortable being outdoors. Indoor meetups with crowds during winter months can differ depending on the situation for that person.

With meetups with new people, I’ve gone to parent events at my kids school because I do like meeting new people but I’ve prioritized the existing friendships when it comes to who I keep up with over text and try to plan the few limited in-person gatherings. So I would say to be aware that you could meet very outgoing people but nothing happens beyond the event/meetup as far as one on one follow-up. It could happen but it’s better to go into it without putting a lot of pressure on yourself to do anything more than enjoying the event/meetup.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How are you approaching them - are you asking them if they're up for meeting in person?

Also, can you relate to the too much togetherness issue with your spouse?

I relate to the latter for sure