Keeping Friendships During a Pandemic by Armaan Verma
Original art by Reagan Taylor
At this point, everyone has started to feel the effects of quarantine on their relationships with the people they care about, introverts and extroverts alike. It could be that you do not have enough time with friends, or have trouble keeping up with them without something like school that forces you to see each other, or even the opposite in that you see your family way too much. Here are some tips about how to handle this situation:
First off, it is okay to text a friend you have not seen or heard from for months.
It is entirely within your bounds to text someone out of the blue, in fact, research shows that people get a surge of dopamine when they get a text from someone they have not talked to for awhile, which is a fancy way of saying that it is exciting. People are more open to reconnect than one would think, but it takes someone initiating first for it to really happen. It does not make you needy or “thirsty” to text first.
If you want to meet in person, there are a multitude of ways to hang out without risking your health.
And no, not those lame virtual hang outs that people keep vouching for, although if you enjoy those, then great, do those. Face-to-face interaction is entirely possible, given that all parties involved follow some basic protocol.
Wear masks: Although it blocks facial gestures, it really does not affect interaction overall. Masks allow for some more close contact, although not to too much of an extent.
Distance: With masks, the range that COVID can be spread is greatly reduced. However, the main usage of distancing would be if you want to eat together, in which a full 6 foot distancing between each person is advised.
Location: Always opt for outside locations. You can really get away with a lot more gaps in safety if the location is outside, because all the air you breathe will not be pent up in the same room.
Party size: Given that everyone follows protocol perfectly, a max of 6-8 people should meet at a time, which should be plenty for most groups.
Sanitize: Frequently use hand sanitizer, especially if you or your friends make any physical contact or are about to eat.
Be creative! Your friends will not judge you or call you immature if being a little silly is what it takes for everyone to stay safe. Play in a playground, go the park, or spruce up your backyard to create fun and safe locations for everyone to hang out (and on a side note, this also helps a lot convincing parents who are unsure about letting their child go out during the pandemic).
Overall, if you and your friends miss seeing each other face-to-face and want to hang out, do it, just remember to stay safe as we are still in a pandemic.
If you are sick of having your family around all day, do not be afraid to ask for some alone time every day.
No, asking to be alone does not mean you hate your family, or even that you do not want to hang out with them; it just means you need some personal space. Everyone has different needs when it comes to interaction, and if you are the type of person who likes to be alone, just communicate that to your family. Even if it is only an hour or even thirty minutes each day, along time can do wonders for staying sane in this crazy time. With this, the absolute most important thing is communication. Talk to your family and establish healthy boundaries, so that instead of them thinking you are growing distant they realize you need time alone to enjoy the time you spend with them even more.
Don't Let Dehydration Kill Your Vacation by Vishwa Diwan
Original artwork by Reagan Taylor
The human body is a complex system. You were taught you needed the three basics to truly survive: food, water, and shelter. But why do we need water? What significance does water hold in our body systems? Water actually is an essential part of our nutrition that plays a very important role in the human body. Humans can go weeks without food (although I don’t recommend it), but humans can only go a few days without water (Importance of Water). Water performs many functions: carrying nutrients to cells and oxygen to the brain, flushing out toxins/waste, lubricating joints and muscles, regulating body temperature, and helping your body absorb minerals, vitamins, and more. Not only is water necessary to life, it is also beneficial when it comes to physiological aspects. Water helps maintain normal cognitive and physical functions as well as normal thermoregulation. Without water, you could easily be fatigued, have irregular digestion patterns, and get duller (less radiant) and dryer skin (Importance of Water). A recent study conducted of 2000 people in the United States found that only 22 percent of those asked drink the recommended amount of water per day--most saying they consume about half the recommended amount (SWNS, 2020). The Mayo Clinic recommends that females drink at least 11.5 cups a day and males 15.5 cups a day. Of course, water is not the only thing you need to be healthy--exercise and a good diet are imperative--but water should be made a greater priority in our lives if we truly want to be healthier as we grow older (Water). Drink water throughout the day to ensure your health--after or before eating, after exercising, when you’re thirsty, or between those Tiktok scrolls.