Sisters Helping Sisters: Mental Health Edition

As quarantine and social distance rules continue to be a necessary health precaution, many people’s mental health is taking a blow.  This is the time to be checking in on your sisters and keeping in mind everyone has a secret battle they’re fighting.  Checking in on your sisters helps you as much as it helps them, so do yourself a favor and confide or be confided in.

Here are different ways you can connect with your sisters and show them they’re not alone even when you’re not together. 

Call / Facetime

Texting is great for conversations in-between meetings or for updates, but not so great when you’re trying to connect with a friend.  Many students have moved back home for the summer or because of COVID-19 and being apart from your friends for so long would cause anyone to feel lonely.  Call or, even better, facetime your friends to catch up and talk about life.  Ask them how they’re doing in a real way (not an “I’m fine, how are you?” kind of way).  Texting is so impersonal and does not have the capability to convey the full range of human emotion.  Human emotion is key to human connection, so being able to show that is crucial.  Call your friends.

We're Not Really Strangers

This card game’s target is to bring closer together.  It provides an opportunity to get to know people on a deeper level-- that kind of understanding and connection is felt even if you’re a thousand miles away.  

The company also recently released a digital expansion pack titled “Race and Privilege” to open and empower the conversation with those you’re close to.

A Socially-Distanced Hangout

If your location allows for it, hang out with a friend.  Preferably 6 feet apart, preferably wearing masks, and preferably in an open area.  I don’t recommend dining in, but hanging out in a field with take-out is a great alternative (PSA: microwaving your food for 30 seconds kills the virus that could be on your food).  You can be with your friends in-person and have a great time-- even if you’re not physically close or not hugging them.  Being able to hang out with people is a privilege nowadays, one that I will never take for granted ever again.  You’ll just be glad you’re not talking to them through a screen.

Yeah, COVID-19 sucks.  Yeah, you want to go out.  Yeah, wearing a mask can be annoying.  Yeah… the virus is still here.  But also: mental health is so so important, so check on your sisters!  For your sake and theirs.  You never know how much reaching out to them can help. 

Xx, Leonora Lillie

University of Georiga, Phi Mu

@leonoralillie