Long distance relationships used to be a unique challenge, usually meaning being cities, states, or even countries apart. Now everyone’s in a long distance relationship, just six feet long. 

Unsurprisingly, until March the majority of people were used to seeing their friends everyday. School, work, and normal social interactions meant we could spend time together whenever we wanted! Of course, the pandemic quickly shattered these habits, and many haven’t been able to see their loved ones in months. Lockdowns keep people safe, but they also strain relationships. It’s not hard to feel isolated or alone when you’re told to stay home and stay safe. However, new ways to see our friends and loved ones quickly developed. Here’s the most frequent activities:

Virtual Calls

Group Face Times, Zoom meetings, and Google Meet calls are just a few of the ways people stay in touch today. People can talk to each other just like on phone calls or messaging, but actually seeing your friends returns the personal feeling of being together. Online calls keep the participants safe and separated, but allows them to spend time with each other.

Socially Distanced Meetups

For those who want to be closer to their friends, social distancing guidelines have been clear cut for months. These gatherings are meant to be small and outdoors, and participants need to be no less than six feet apart (plus masks of course!) In warmer weather, many teens take to social distancing from their cars, relaxing in a parking lot together yet still being safe. Social distancing allows people to talk in-person, while also limiting the spread of COVID-19.

Friendships have always been a careful balance. Spending time with each other, being able to bond and get closer. When many options are limited, growing a new relationship (or maintaining old ones) can get difficult. However, many say some of their friendships only became stronger through the pandemic, and I agree. Lacking ways to physically see friends means we need to focus more on what these people mean to us. Relationships with friends or significant others rely on talking to each other, and the pandemic opened up new opportunities to do so. On the other hand, many recognize that they’ve fallen out of touch with people they used to speak to everyday. It’s easy to allow places like school or work to be the only time you talk to someone, especially when we used to go everyday, and the loss of that physical closeness meant many simply lost their connection.

In the midst of COVID-19 staying social is difficult, but it’s more important than ever. Remaining distanced or communicating online are the best and safest options, and they’re effective too! Strengthening or losing connections during Covid-19 is not abnormal, but we can all take an effort to keep in touch. Start the conversation and help out your relationships, pandemic or not.