This list of Social Distancing for Singles - things to Do to Fight Loneliness During Corona Virus will help you find ways to use your time to heal, empower yourself, and generally improve your life...oh, and it will help you avoid going completely insane while you're at it!

Social Distancing for Singles - Things to Do to Fight Loneliness During Corona Virus

Hey, it's me. I am alive. I am lonely, but I am alive. To be quite honest, I am on the verge of thriving. Like, what? Yes, guys. Not financially, of course, but I am thriving emotionally, mentally and spiritually. Who would have thought? I mean, I spent the second half of March literally just crying every day!

So, I am single as a damn Pringle at the moment. That's right, I am not with that teacher guy...I think the last time I wrote about him, we were actually not speaking at all, but he came back into my life shortly after this post about how A Guy Almost Prevented Me From Trying the Popeye's Chicken Sandwich....and well, he is still kind of around,  anyway.

I haven't really taken dating seriously this year; it just seemed that I stopped meeting men that I felt any sort of real connection to. Dating became pointless even prior to the outbreak of Covid19, and I was basically just seeing the teacher once or twice a month because well, I loved him. HA HA! I mean, that's a good reason, right?

But we aren't together, and I have been really, really struggling with self isolating, as social distancing for singles is so hard - it IS getting much better, but the first 2 weeks were a very scary, dark time in my life. I was NOT okay. I am getting past that now, and I know that there are so many of us single folks out there that may have been struggling with alienation and loneliness even prior to the onset of our social distancing and quarantine; I really wanted to sit down and write a sort of guide to getting through this whole social distancing for singles thing, because I feel so good right now and think these things will help others. 

Social Distancing for Singles - Things to Do to Fight Loneliness

The weekend before Saint Patrick's Day, I saw the teacher and we hadn't been together in....5 weeks. See? I am trying!! We had a fantastic time, but at the end of the night we had a huge argument that resulted in me leaving him at the bar and going home alone. He did show up to talk to me after that, but we did not part on good terms. I was hoping that I would have a quarantine buddy, because I had already planned to begin social distancing after the weekend was over. So, I was disappointed of course, as he was the only one in my life. I ended up going out on Saint Patrick's Day with my friends, and I am SO thankful I did!

We girls had a great last hurrah, said goodbye to the regulars and then I haven't seen either of them since. They both have families at home and are essential employees...I live alone. I am doing this as safely as I can, as our neighborhood quickly became a hot spot in Miami. We have over 400 confirmed cases in our neighborhood, and over 100 within my own zip code. No one in, no one out. Except for dropping off stuff on mom's porch and getting cigs, of course. Ha! 

Are We Lonely Because We Don't Have a Significant Other?

I began to realize early on, I don't miss sex. I don't miss romance. I generally missed the teacher guy and wanted to see him more often, but that has nothing to do with this. I am used to only seeing him once a month! He was too busy with his other girlfriends to really be a permanent fixture in my life, so I haven't missed too much since I self-isolated. Ha ha!

Look, Social Distancing for Singles isn't a problem because we miss having a relationship. It isn't about that. 

I don't miss a guy - you know I mean? I miss PEOPLE. I miss my friends. I miss my parents. I miss sitting at the bar eating chicken wings and talking to my favorite bartenders. I miss giving a friend a kiss on the cheek when I said hello. I miss SHAKING HANDS. I miss smelling someone's perfume or cologne as we sat next to each and chatted. I miss hugging my friends goodbye after a night out. I miss HUMAN CONTACT.

Social Distancing for Singles - Things to Do to Fight Loneliness During Corona Virus

When the Universe yanks everything away from your life except for YOURSELF, it is a big, sudden, shocking - and frankly, quite traumatic - event. 

Do Not Shame Single People for Being Lonely!

Living alone and working from home is lonely enough, but most of us single people are 100% alone now and that is why Social Distancing for Singles is so different for everyone else. 

We aren't working outside the home, we don't have a partner, we don't have families in our home, we can't go outside and see friends...the first two weeks were incredibly hard for me and I would be lying if I didn't tell you that I cried almost daily. I am trying not to drink liquor for health reasons, so...yeah, I had to suffer through that pretty sober. It sucked.

Please don't judge people for NEEDING people, single or otherwise. If you are perfectly happy being alone 24/7, 365 days a year, that is great for you! Do I call you a pathetic hermit? No, I accept that you don't care to be around people for whatever reason. So leave us alone because we feel lonely without people. 

Over the last four weeks, I have been completely isolated except for dropping things off on my mom's porch and waving hello, going to the drive through store for cigarettes, and talking to my next door neighbor over the fence. As I said above, the first two weeks were REALLY bad. I had several breakdowns...and then my grandfather died. Like, way to kick a girl when she's down, Life. What a dick!!! The next week, my second cousin died. When it rains, it pours. 

But I got over the hump. I worked hard at it every day...and now, on Day 30 of my Isolation, you know what? I feel so peaceful and happy. Genuinely happy. So, how did I do this? It wasn't easy, I'll admit that. And having a savings account because I just did a freaking home equity line certainly didn't hinder me. So I understand that money is the number one concern and I can't really help with that. What I can do is tell you what has helped me push past my loneliness, make the best of a bad situation and really improve the overall condition of my life - all the way around.

Mentally, emotionally, spiritually; I am in a good place. Yes, I am still lonely. But it doesn't hurt, if that makes sense. I haven't been this happy in general in a very long time. 

Social Distancing for Singles - Things to Do to Fight Loneliness During Corona Virus

Things To Do When You Start Your Day

Make your bed! I am serious, this is such a huge signal to your brain that it is time to get up and get started with your day. When I get up, I make my bed and walk around the house and open all of the curtains. This prevents me from just getting back into bed...because let's face it, I have zero to do.

Set the mood for happiness! Do you have candles? Incense? When I finish feeding my dogs and brushing my teeth, I light my reiki candles and/or incense. It fills my house with a pleasant scent and as I am very effected by environment, this usually gives me a peaceful feeling. Duh, this is called aromatherapy, and really does have an effect on our moods. 

Meditate to set the tone for the day. You can find tons of chakra balancing and assorted meditation videos on YouTube. You do not need to do anything special, you can just lay down and listen to the relaxing music and allow yourself to feel relaxed and peaceful before beginning your day. Even if it is just for five minutes. 

Exercise. Yes, I said exercise. You know how lazy I am, I HATE exercising. But as I have been struggling with insomnia, I am waking up no later than 6 AM. Do you know how long your day is when it begins at 6 AM and you have nowhere to go or anything to do all day? So I pulled out my old Gazelle - I've had this for at least a decade - and began working out for 30 minutes while I watched the news in the morning. It's been about 2 weeks now and I have worked up to an hour. I feel better, I am getting in shape and instead of laying in bed feeling sorry for myself, I am getting my heart rate going and improving my health. 

What To Do When You Are Bored

Text an old friend to see how they're doing. Each morning, I text my girlfriends to tell them good morning. I love to throw in a "Good morning, gorgeous!" and shit like that because most of us are single and let's face it, no one is asking us how we slept...so we ask each other. During this time, when we have sooo much extra time and no one is doing anything - well, most of us are unemployed, so we aren't doing anything - text an old friend. Call your aunt. Ask how they're doing. Have a conversation with someone you haven't spoken to in a while and help yourself feel more connected to people, even if it isn't in person. 

By the way, YES, it is okay to go on dating apps right now if you don't have any friends to text. Just be safe and don't meet up with anyone. Let them know that you just want to chat because you are self isolating. 

COOK something for yourself. I have been baking, cooking elaborate dinners, and even sitting down at the kitchen table for each meal. No more eating lunch at my desk or dinner on the couch. I have ordered take out and delivery each week to help support my local businesses, but I am cooking almost every day! I used to bake a lot and now that I am doing low carb to lose weight, I am experimenting with low carb baked goods. So far a low carb banana bread muffins recipe I made is a win! Go into your kitchen and have fun. Give yourself something productive to do - you are using up some time, improving your skills and giving yourself a delicious treat! It is a win-win situation, all the way around. 

Play with houseplants. I began a new hobby of houseplant keeping last year and I am so obsessed. As the quarantine began, I spent a pretty penny on Etsy and Walmart.com ordering new plants. Then I realized...did I really just spend $300 in two weeks - with ZERO INCOME coming in - on P L A N T S?!!! Now I am chopping up my Golden Pothos and propagating my Monstera Adansonii too! You can find super cheap cuttings on Etsy and eBay, or check Home Depot, Walmart, Lowes etc - most of them deliver their lawn and garden offerings too!

By the way.....You can totally ask your friends for cuttings. 

If you can't afford to buy any plants, ask your neighbors for cuttings to get you started! You would be surprised at how easy it is to propagate new plants in a basic glass of water. Everyone has a glass jar under the kitchen cabinet. Do something fun, enrich your living environment, and improve the air quality in your home - I highly recommend the houseplant hobby. 

Some other free ideas include:

• Window shop online if you can't afford to shop right now. 
• Plan your most wild, exotic vacation ever and spend time looking at photos and reading about it. 
• Take a walk outside! Go for a bike ride, etc. Leave the house and smell the fresh air and feel the sunshine on your face!
• Create a vision board for how you want your life to look when this is all over. 

Ways to Practice Self Love While Social Distancing for Singles

Make a DIY hair mask! I have naturally curly hair and it is a struggle on a good day. As I have gotten older, my hair has become dry and brittle. I am taking this time to stop using any product and allowing my hair to repair itself. So it looks like complete and utter crap, but it's getting healthier. I am doing hair masks once or twice a week to try to help it along, and it's working!

Take a long, hot bath. Preferably with sea salt. It is so relaxing and I swear you will feel more at peace. Make sure to moisturize after your bath to make the relaxing experience last longer! I like to light white tea candles and play a meditation album while I take these baths. I also throw a can of coconut milk into the water for added moisture. 

Give yourself a manicure and pedicure at home! I rarely go to the salon, so I am used to doing my own nails. I have a nice pedicure and then I leave my nails natural. It's simple and always looks nice - no worry about spending money at the salon, no worries about schedules, and my nails are never chipped in photos! You may find that you get so good at doing your own nails that you don't go back to the salon and waste your money after this is all over!

Play with your makeup! I bought a set of false lashes before the shit hit the fan in Miami, and I am learning how to wear them. I haven't quite gotten the hang of it yet, but it sure is fun to play with!

TAKE A NAP! What the hell else do you have to do? Tired? Did you toss and turn all night due to stress and anxiety, and find yourself dragging at 1 PM? Go rest your eyes. There is no rush. We are just making it through each day as they come. 

Whatever you do, be KIND to yourself!

No one has ever experienced anything like this before. We are all finding our way through this in our own ways, with our own struggles. It is OKAY to be sad, depressed, lonely and hurting right now if you are single and miss being around people. Human beings need human beings to feel alive. It is okay to feel this way!

This will not last forever. 

What you have to tell yourself is that this is not permanent. Those people whom you thought you had a relationship, the ones you thought cared about you - those people that aren't checking in? You need to take this time to reassess the people in your life, to determine who deserves to be in your life when this is all over. We are all locked down, for the most part. What are they doing that is keeping them so busy they can't check in on you?

Take this time to let go of the things that are no longer working for your greater good. 

I realized the first week in that I did not have the deeper relationships with the men in my life that I thought I had. I about lost it, realizing that these guys who I thought were my friends were anything but. If you are feeling rejected right now, let me tell you something: there was never anything there to begin with. This time is forcing us to really take a look at our lives without ANY of the bullshit we usually cloud our vision with. We have to deal with reality, and sometimes it hurts like a biatch!

Go ahead and cry it out. Then say Goodbye, and let it go. 

I am locked in my house, with no paying work on the books (I have one sponsored post that was rescheduled), I am locked in my house, I haven't touched a human being in 30 days...yet I feel so incredibly free. Guys, I am fixing myself. You can too. I believe in you!