How To Improve Your Overall Well-Being During Social Distancing

School closures. Work-from-home mandates. Conference and event cancelations. Travel restrictions. Countries shuttering their borders.

Everywhere we look, precautionary measures have been enacted for our safety. While these preventive actions will help halt the spread of the coronavirus, the social distancing they encourage can have a negative impact on our overall well-being.

According to Kevin Strauss, CEO of Uchi, LLC, whose mission is to help people connect authentically with those who matter most to them, we can think about the quality of our health in four key areas:

1. Physical Health, defined as your ability to exist and your body to operate. Good Physical Health means you can move through the world the way you’d like to, without pain, disease, or sleeplessness.

2. Spiritual Health, which isn’t necessarily about religion or faith, but instead about your ability to know and pursue your purpose. Those with good Spiritual Health have aligned their actions with what matters most to them, rather than feeling detached, lost, or confused.

3. Mental Health, defined as your ability to think clearly, focus, and perform cognitive tasks. Good Mental Health speaks to your thinking ability and not feeling stressed, scattered, or overwhelmed.

4. Emotional Health, which is your ability to give and receive love, connection, and belonging. Those with good Emotional Health have mastered their feeling ability, and behave in such a way that invites others into their inner circle.

When you think of these four areas like the tires of a vehicle, and assess how “inflated” each is, you’ll understand how intertwined they are in your well-being. Can you drive a car with a “flat” health tire? Sure, but not for very long or efficiently.

But Strauss says that while all of these components matter and fluctuate over time, it’s our Emotional Health that ultimately has the most impact on our well-being because it facilitates connection.

And connection, Strauss stresses, is the key to happiness. “I believe people yearn to feel closer to others... to the people who matter most to us. I believe we long to be heard and valued because then we know that we matter, and that makes us happy.” 

Science backs this up. Research shows that social connections are the key to well-being. Another study suggests those with greater well-being tend to be more satisfied with their lives and experience more positive emotions and fewer negative ones. And it’s these positive emotions—such as excitement, joy, and serenity–that promote success in the workplace. People who frequently experience positive emotions tend to go above and beyond for their organizations; they’re also less likely to be absent from work or quit their jobs.

Connection is critical to supporting our Emotional Health and, in turn, drives our behaviors. “Happy people do good things and are less destructive to themselves and others,” states Strauss. “The closer and happier we are, the better our world will be.”

But our current environment of social distancing can be isolating, which can lower our Emotional Health. Here’s how you can increase connection and your well-being during these trying times:

Start writing letters

When was the last time you received a handwritten note? Go old school by writing and sending letters via snail mail to those for whom you care.

Pick up the phone

Since more and more people are working from home, their availability to talk has increased. And since they’re alone, they’ll likely appreciate hearing from you as much as you’ll enjoy talking with them, whether they’re a friend, client, or colleague.

Message away

Compose quick messages to your teammates throughout the day to catch up and offer support to bridge the distance, and text your friends and family

Increase your video calls

Swap in-person client meetings for video chats and conduct virtual face-to-face sessions with your colleagues. Simon Sinek even suggests that office teams establish a Monday morning virtual huddle ritual, not to discuss work, but to check in on each other and foster a sense of community.

Create and converse in online groups

Form online pods of likeminded people to facilitate conversations or try apps like Strauss’s Uchi, which “helps people feel closer by prompting them to share their perspective on everyday topics so they can be heard and, in turn, so they can hear others.”

In this new normal of social distancing, staying connected can be challenging, but is essential to our well-being. By nurturing our relationships, we’ll bolster our Emotional Health and happiness.

This article was first published on Forbes.com. Find it here, and Amy's other Forbes articles here.

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?Amy Blaschka is a social media ghostwriter who helps leaders craft their stories to communicate and connect better. Contact her if you'd like her help.?

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