麻豆传媒映画

For those with roommates, partners or children, the reality of social distancing, self-isolation or being quarantined during the COVID-19 pandemic may be eased by virtue of having at least some personal contact at home.

But for those who live alone, the next weeks and months may be tougher to handle.

Just ask Christine Hagemoen who lives on her own in an apartment in Mount Pleasant. Hagemoen also works from home.

鈥淚'm used to being on my own generally 鈥� and like it 鈥� but this is really different. Choosing to be alone is one thing, but being forced to is another all together. It is at these times I wish I had a pet,鈥� she told the Courier.

Hagemoen, however, has a few tips for those in similar circumstances.

She said don't be afraid to talk to yourself out loud and if you can get outside... do it, especially in the sunny weather, while nature is blooming.

Hagemoen added that she had a great Facebook chat Tuesday evening with a friend in New Brunswick.听

鈥淩each out via Skype, DM, email or with people you've lost touch with and with the people you normally see,鈥� she suggested.听

Former Vision 麻豆传媒映画councillor Heather Deal, who lives on her own in a 1970s condo in Kitsilano, also has some ideas about how to cope during these challenging times.

鈥淩ight now, I鈥檇 say that seeking out group activities via technology is really important. Watching my niece鈥檚 band do their St Paddy鈥檚 Day concert from a basement in Michigan, and texting family in Michigan, Florida and North Carolina during the concert, was awesome,鈥� she said in a message to the Courier.听

鈥淚f I hadn鈥檛 been watching that concert I would have been watching Choir Choir Choir鈥檚 sing-along. And singing along. I鈥檓 also keen on offering to help neighbours who can鈥檛 get out, although I suspect that we will go to drone delivery soon..... And I鈥檓 still planning to meet friends for walks and bike rides at this point.鈥�

Kerry Smithies, who lives on her own near Main Street, works from home as an accountant. Given much of her day is spent online, she鈥檚 not keen to sit behind a computer after work. She describes herself as a 鈥渧ery social鈥� person who thrives on being with people.

She says it鈥檚 too soon to tell how tough social distancing will be. Last week, her daughter was visiting so she went to restaurants and yesterday she went to the grocery store.

鈥淚 think the challenge for me is going to be not being able to go to the gym and not being able to go to yoga but those places aren鈥檛 social anyway,鈥� she said.

鈥�... I guess I'll just be out walking around by the beach or walk to Queen Elizabeth Park.鈥澨�

Smithies added she鈥檚 not worried about mixing with other healthy people to a limited degree. But she is worried about older people who live on their own like one of her neighbours. His kids call every day but don鈥檛 live nearby. He used to swim everyday but can鈥檛 now that pools are closed due to coronavirus.

鈥淪o what鈥檚 he going to do?鈥� she said.

Like Smithies, Lesli Boldt lives alone and considers herself a people person.

鈥淎s an extrovert and a naturally social person, isolation and separation from other people over the past few days has been really hard for me,鈥� she said in an email to the Courier.

鈥淎s a consultant, I used to work full time from home but put an end to that over 10 years ago because I didn鈥檛 want to be by myself all the time; I鈥檝e rented office space ever since 2010. However, my downtown co-working office is now closed, and so am working/worrying from home.鈥�

Here are Boldt鈥檚 tips, in her own words, for getting through the pandemic:

• Call friends and family regularly. I鈥檓 a Gen Xer, and we remember the days before cellphones and texting, before there was an Internet. But like most people, I鈥檝e been more of an email/text person the last 10 to 15 years or so, and can easily go months without actually speaking to someone. These days, I鈥檓 on the phone with friends more than I have been in years, to check in, find out how they鈥檙e doing and have a few laughs. A friend of mine and I have a FaceTime drink date at 8 tonight!

• Get out of the house for exercise at least once a day. Going for a run, going for a bike ride, like I did today, on the Arbutus Greenway and to Olympic Village, or a long walk helps me to work off some of anxiety and nervous tension. Even if I鈥檓 not socializing with people, I can still say, 鈥楬i,鈥� and feel like I鈥檓 part of a community. The past couple of days, I鈥檝e used my solo runs/rides to scout out nearby neighbourhoods and see which businesses are open/still serving during these crazy times. I鈥檝e also just decided I don鈥檛 give a shit and sing along to iTunes at the top of my lungs when I鈥檓 out. Singing鈥檚 good too.

• Take walks and runs with only one friend. This sounds like I鈥檓 breaking the rules, but I鈥檝e had a couple of social distancing walks and runs with friends the past few days. We don鈥檛 hug or touch and put generous space between each other, but at least we can talk and catch up in person. I can see a bike ride like this happening as well, but it hasn鈥檛 happened yet.听

• Keep busy. I鈥檓 scheduling activities each day in my calendar 鈥� do an online yoga class, clean the balcony, re-pot the plants, all of which I did today, cook meals from scratch, do laundry, so that I鈥檓 not just sitting on Twitter all day wondering how long this is all going last. This is easier said than done.

At her daily press conference March 19, even Dr. Bonnie Henry, the province鈥檚 chief health officer, stressed the importance of social connection between people, as long as a safe distance is maintained.听

Getting outside is crucial for both physical and mental health, she said, adding that people can also get involved in innovative activities to maintain ties to others such as holding virtual coffee dates, going to take-out windows or dropping food or medications off to people who can鈥檛 get out.

鈥淭hese are things that are really important to help us stay connected,鈥� she said.

鈥淚n particular, we want to make sure that we鈥檙e not socially isolating our seniors who are most vulnerable to having serious illness鈥� I鈥檓 calling on all of us to do what we can in our communities to stay connected.鈥�

Henry also encouraged residents to go for walks and bike rides and to take advantage of online offerings such as courses, exercise classes, online museum tours or ebooks.

Online support groups have also popped up on Facebook such as .

鈥淲e don鈥檛 have to be physically together to stay connected,鈥� Henry said.

[email protected]

@naoibh

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