Self-isolation means staying by yourself, but that doesn't mean you have to feel alone. Remaining socially engaged and taking part in your regular routines will help make the physical distancing feel less distant.

Stay busy

Often times, boredom and loneliness go hand in hand. Keeping yourself busy and giving yourself mini goals to look forward to and check off your list will help you beat the blues. Some things to add to your checklist could be:

Getting ready the way you normally would. Maybe you don't need to wake up at the crack of dawn (or 1 p.m. for those of you with afternoon classes), but doing what you'd normally do to get ready for the day will help keep you feeling normal.

Find a recipe to cook for one of your meals. It doesn't have to be an expert level dish—just anything that excites you. It's the small victories that count! For inspiration, check out Tasty's Twitter feed. It's full of unique ideas for creative (and fun!) recipes.

Reach out

Taking steps to engage with others will help both yourself and others. Staying in contact with your friends and family is essential for feeling connected.

“My brother and I live together, but my friends are halfway across the country, and my sister is on the complete opposite side of the country,” Jennifer Risberg, Arizona State University says. “We have been using text messaging and FaceTime to keep in touch.”

You can also FaceTime with grandparents, chat on WhatsApp with a cousin overseas, or tune into Instagram Live. An overwhelming number of student partners have been using Zoom with their friends outside of the classroom. Whatever your social platform of choice, hop on.

Play games with your friends

Have you heard of the new Google Chrome extension called Netflix Party? This browser extension uses synced streaming and a group chat so you can watch binge-worthy shows as if you were physically with your best friends. You could also try the Houseparty app which allows you to video chat and play games with as many friends as you want.

In these times of isolation, we can all be grateful for the ways technology allows us to maintain connections with our friends and family. Even though we can't physically be near one another, we can still have a fun night hanging out with friends. So go ahead--start planning your next (virtual) party and send out that meeting code!

For more resources, check out our Student Center.