As we hit the mid-way point of week 3 of this quarantine, I can imagine the rest of you are like me. Just trying to get through one day at a time and praying for an end to this soon. While spending more time at home with family has its perks, let’s face it, I’m guessing we also have our days where we are getting a little sick of one another too.

Overnight, it seems, our daily connections with the outside world have changed drastically for the foreseeable future. If you are a social person like me or even my daughter, taking away those in-person conversations and time with friends and family, even our co-workers, can feel like we have lost a part of ourselves. Over the first couple of weeks, I stayed in touch via phone calls and text messages to check in with everyone which helps immensely but not being to able to hug people or see their faces still feels so hard.

Last Friday was my daughter’s 14th birthday and as you saw me post, it was a day I was very anxious about. A teenage girl has a range of emotions when times are normal but you take away her friends and her birthday celebrations and the results could have been ugly. I was overwhelmed with the outpouring of love she received from gifts left on our doorstep, social distance friendly visits from family, our nanny, friends and neighbors and a surprise family Zoom call, it could not have been a better day (unless we weren’t quarantined of course!)

At the end of the day, I was so incredibly grateful that the day exceeded all of my expectations but I realized how good the day was not just for her soul but for mine too. Getting to see people we hadn’t seen in weeks, whether in person or over Zoom, just gave me a sense of peace and calm to know that the human spirit is bigger and stronger than anything that is going on in the world right now. Human connection is so vital to our mental well-being and I quickly realized how important it is for us to maintain if we are going to get through this, and we will!

I have seen people posting about virtual happy hours and safe social distance visits and it also serves as a reminder that, despite, all of the incredible sadness that this virus is bringing our country, we are so much stronger together. If we are going to get through this time, staying connected and checking in with one another will be a critical part of that. I know for me, it has to become a priority in order for me to stay strong for my family and maintain a positive outlook.

So, as we go about the rest of the week and move into the next 30 days of quarantine, I challenge you to reach out to at least one person a day just to check in and connect. Then take the time to schedule that family Zoom call or happy hour with friends. It will give you something to look forward to while doing wonders for your loved ones as well as yourself.