As we enter another year of the pandemic and the omicron variant continues to make life uncertain, you may be living with feelings of loneliness and social isolation. Whether you are having difficulty being away from family and friends, or struggling to connect with others, know that these feelings are a valid response to a challenging situation.
To help students navigate feelings that may arise, Stanford has created a website about the intersection of loneliness and connection that explores different types of loneliness and what we can do about it. And if you’re feeling down, these five tips can help.
- Establish a daily routine: Find a schedule that feels comfortable for you and make sure you build in time to rest and take care of yourself. Consider limiting your social media time, setting app limits or adding “phone-free” time to your schedule.
- Connect with family, friends and community: Although some campus activities are on hold, there are still ways to get out with others. Consider doing a masked workout with a friend, attending a virtual networking event, seeing a Stanford Live show or visiting the Cantor Arts Center, which is free and open five days a week with all-day reservations.
- Build a self-care menu: Write down a list of activities or things that bring you joy and keep it on your phone or put it somewhere easy to find when you need it. These items can be big or small – dark chocolate, hugs from friends, singing your favorite song or dancing with headphones on, anything! When you’re feeling low, see if you can do anything on the list.
- Make space for anxiety and fear: It’s important to take time to explore how you’re feeling right now. But remember to be kind and gentle with yourself and avoid minimizing what you’re going through, i.e., “It’s not that bad” or “I shouldn’t feel this way.” Instead, try: “I am worthy” or “These feelings are temporary.”
- Reach out for help: Don’t hesitate to reach out. There are multiple ways of connecting with Stanford’s many mental health resources, including peer counseling, well-being coaching and guidance from the Office of Religious and Spiritual Life.