Wellbeing Tips - Staying in Contact and Socialising
Studying and working at home for a long period of time is not something that many of us have been used to be before, but it is becoming something of a ‘new normal'. During this time, it is vital that we stay connected with our classmates, friends, colleagues and those we socialise with.
The College’s Wellbeing team is available to support you and has provided this list of tips and advice to help us while we all #StayAtHome. The Wellbeing team along with useful information can also be accessed via Moodle.
Below are some tips to help you keep in contact with others during this time.
Make a plan to help you keep calm and stay in contact
We’ll all be working in different ways for a while to maintain our social networks and connections, and as it may feel a bit scary and challenging to have less face-to-face experiences, it’s a good time to make a start to establish regular contacts.
- Make sure contact numbers and email addresses are up-to-date.
- Use group chats on apps including WhatsApp and Messenger to stay in touch with friends and loved ones to have regular informal support – why not start a new group!
- Join ECSA’s Edinburgh College Virtual Campus on Facebook to keep in touch with the student community.
- Consider an online peer support community such as Elefriends, which is run by the charity MIND, find out more at www.mind.org.uk.
- Establish a regular time each day to check in with close contacts.
Contact a neighbour or friend and offer to help them
Social distancing doesn’t mean we can’t stay in touch with our classmates, colleagues, and those close to us, in fact the opposite, we need more than ever to keep up our contacts and offer help to others – both of which are good for our own wellbeing.
You can find out information about how to help in your community here on the Ready Scotland website.
Send a letter or message to someone you can’t be with
Not everyone has access to social media and the internet. So why not take some time to write a letter to a family member, friend or neighbour. Tell them about your upcoming plans, remind them of funny stories, or even write them a poem. This old school method is sure to put a smile on their face.
Make up a plan to meet up with others later in the year
Plan ahead and get some dates in your diaries, whether it be celebrating with family, classmates or colleagues, this is will give you something to look forward to. Contact your friends and family and your diary will soon be filling up for later in the year.
Respond positively to everyone you interact with
Sometimes it really is the simple things like a smile, asking how someone’s day is going or having a conversation about something positive that has happened recently, this can boost people’s happiness.
Find positive stories in the news and share with others
It’s hard not to read or watch the latest updates on the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak, however, we all need to spend time some time away from this. Why not look for positive news stories from around the world or in your community. Share them with your friends, classmates, colleagues, and family as we all need some positivity in our lives.
Remember that you can contact our Wellbeing team on wellbeing@edinburghcollege.ac.uk if you want to talk about how you’re feeling.
There are a range of organisations that can offer help and support to you, no matter what you are going through. Learn more about external support organisations that can help.
