By: Jordyn Cooper 

     Being isolated can have many negative effects on your mental and physical health. Everyone is feeling secluded during this time. Luckily, there are various ways to maintain contact. It is easy to interact while also following CDC guidelines. The Squire has researched ways to stay connected while social distancing. 

     The easiest way to keep in contact is online through video chat programs and social media. Zoom is currently the most popular video conference service. It is mostly used for classroom discussions, but you can also set up a meeting to talk with your friends. Zoom allows users to video chat for 40 minutes for free, but if you want to chat longer, you’ll have to subscribe. If you can’t pay for the monthly subscription, a free alternative is Google video conferencing. Another well liked platform is Netflix Party. It is a fun way to stay inside and watch Netflix with your friends online. The program will sync the playback across the accounts so you can watch together from your own account. 

     Another solution to missing your friends is going for walks six feet apart. At least twice a week, I try to walk to the park with a friend. According to www.cdc.org, walking two arm’s length apart is about the right amount of space to keep between you and other people. Going for a walk is a good way to break up the day. It is proven that walking can improve your overall health. 

    Staying in contact with your sports team can be simple too. Since everything is closed, I had to try out for an all-star cheer team by sending the required skills through video. The only way we are able to practice is through video chat on Zoom. Having to practice through zoom isn’t very practical, but it’s better than no practice at all. My original season was cut short due to the virus. In place of our last few competitions, our coach entered us in some virtual competitions by submitting a video of our routine from a previous competition. So far, we have won division champions in the first one and grand champion in the most recent one. 

     If you feel like the Coronavirus pandemic ruined your future plans, you are not alone. Everyone, from students to athletes to celebrities, is struggling with adjusting to life in quarantine. In the article “The Day the Live Concert Returns,” the artist, Dave Grohl said, “In today’s world of fear and unease and social distancing, it’s hard to imagine sharing experiences like these ever again.” No one knows when things will go back to being normal again, so it is important to keep up with your mental health and think of safe ways to stay in touch with everyone you care about.