Maintaining Relationships During COVID-19

Many people’s relationships were tested because of COVID-19 from family relationships, friendships, and romantic relationships; many people experienced heartbreak, and many bonds were broken. Since a majority of people can’t go outside (or refuse to go outside because of health risks; go you!) and see each other anymore, people’s relationships are starting to crumble. 

But, there’s a way to keep them strong. 

With Valentine’s day that just came around the corner, many people didn’t go above and beyond like the previous years because many people could not see their significant others. Countless videos were posted on social media (and still are) of people being ignored via text messages, having their calls denied, and more, as well as the overall trust being broken in platonic and romantic relationships. However, you don’t have to see your friends, family, or partners in order to keep the bond strong and just have a good time. Here are some things you can do instead:

Download Rave

Rave is an app in which you can stream movies from any of the streaming services in which you already own including Hulu, Netflix, Disney+, and if you don’t have any of those, don’t worry! They also let you stream videos from youtube. Rave is 100% free with an easy-to-use interface, and you can lock the room where you stream so only you and your friends / only people you know can be in the room at a time. 

Play online games

A lot of games are now compatible with multiple people, all playing from other devices. Of course, there’s Among Us, which many people know, but there are also other games like Phasmophobia, Animal Crossing, Genshin Impact, Overcooked, and more. The game you pick is a decision you make with the people playing. 

Order them things

Many people enjoy giving gifts as much as receiving, so if getting gifts isn’t your forte, this can be for you! I personally love buying people things, as it brings me joy whenever I see someone’s smile when they get something they’ve wanted for a long time. This can be a way to show them your gratitude during this harsh time, and you both can even facetime or call as they show off their gift! 

Check in on them when you feel it’s right

I’ve been in that type of situation before. Sometimes on the other end there’s radio static when you so desperately want to text them or call them, but you don’t think it’s the right time. What I always try to do is check in with them, whether it’s family or friends or a loved one, to make sure they’re doing okay. Many people forget to reply to messages, or leave people on read or delivered on accident, so it’s always okay to pop in and make sure they’re doing okay. 

Most importantly, practice good communication

Sometimes, it’s hard to communicate with a loved one because you don’t know what they’ll say. A feeling of dread may creep up on you before you send a text or request a call and you might get that uneasy feeling in your stomach. Then there are those butterflies that refuse to go away, even after you pace your house or sit down and think about other things you should do before you press send, or hit call. However, if you practice good communication with the people you care about, whenever you speak those feelings will be at ease, and you will feel comfortable with what you say around them. You won’t feel like you’re being too clingy, or too far away, and good communication is a good practice to have especially if you want to keep the people you care about close to you and comfortable with you.