Since the emergence of COVID-19 in late 2019, it has infected several million people and claimed hundreds of thousands of lives.
However, the true impact of the virus is even broader than this. Movement restrictions have left many people without any human connection for long periods.
For many people, especially older or more vulnerable individuals, this is a very difficult place to be in. It is therefore up to all of us to give them the support they need to make it through this difficult time.
Read on as we look at seven of the best ways to cheer someone up during the COVID-19 pandemic.
1. Buy a Gift for Them
There’s no better way to cheer someone up than getting them something nice. Whether it’s a piece of jewelry, some perfume, or an item of clothing, everyone likes to get something new.
It doesn’t have to be expensive. The important thing is that you put time and thought into picking it, and that the person you get it for can see that.
Shop here for some great gift options.
2. Pick Up the Phone
If someone you know is feeling lonely, the best thing you can do for them is to get in contact with them. Hearing someone’s voice does great things for anyone who feels alone, even if they can’t physically be with the person on the other end of the phone.
With programs like Skype and Zoom, you can even talk face-to-face. As long as you have an internet connection, you can chat for as long as you want free of charge. Make sure your internet is fast and stable though to prevent stuttering and dropped calls. If your internet isn’t the quickest, have a look at some of the best satellite internet providers in your area, particularly if you live rurally.
3. Make Something for Them
If you’re a creative person, put your talents to work and make something nice for someone you care about.
You could knit them a sweater or a hat. You could write them a song or a poem. Anything at all will do as long as its motivation is heartfelt.
4. Set Them a Challenge
One of the biggest problems with life under lockdown is the lack of engagement people feel.
It’s often nice to do nothing challenging for a day or two; it can be great to get some time to read books or watch movies without life getting in the way. However, when a day or two turns into weeks and months, as it has during this pandemic, that lifestyle can start to get very depressing.
With this in mind, set yourself and your friend a challenge. You might decide to run a marathon together or to cooperate in writing a song or a story.
It will keep you both busy, and you might end up doing something truly worthwhile.
5. Play a Game With Them
One of the great things about modern technology is that you no longer have to be in the same room as someone to play games with them.
If the person you want to reach out to is into console games, hit them up for some online play. If you use a headset you can even chat to them while playing.
As well as console games, you can play board or card games. Almost every classic game you can think of has an online version now, and most of them are free.
These also give you the option of playing in a larger group. If you’ve got friends and family in a few different areas, you can get everyone together.
6. Write Them a Letter
The art of letter-writing may be unappreciated by modern generations, but it’s not dead and gone. While it’s not exactly the most efficient means of communication available in 2020, there is a certain charm to a handwritten letter that you just don’t get with other interactions.
Sit down and write to whoever you want to cheer up. Write about past memories you shared together, or tell them the things about them that you love. Tell them what you can’t wait to do with them once the coronavirus has left us alone for good.
Your letter doesn’t have to be serious or solemn, although it can if you want it to be. It can be as silly and light-hearted as you want.
The important thing is that the person you send your letter to will see how much work you put into it. This will make them feel valued in a way that a text or online message never could.
7. Volunteer
If you don’t personally know anyone who needs cheering up during lockdown, that doesn’t mean you can’t help anyone. Even if you don’t have a friend or relative in need, you can be sure that plenty of people in your area could do with help.
With this in mind, consider volunteering for a local charity. Demand for charitable work has never been as high as right now, which means that you have the chance to do some real good in your community.
The work you do doesn’t have to have anything to do with the coronavirus itself. The pandemic has left charities of all kinds understaffed and in high demand.
Whichever charity you pick, you’re sure to be doing necessary, valued work.
The Best Ways to Cheer Someone Up Even in the Darkest of Times
In truth, the best ways to cheer someone up all have one thing in common; human connection. At a time when we all have to stay apart, we need to let the most vulnerable people in our communities know that we are there for them, even if we’re not physically present.
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I agree with this list and believe it to be very important to keep in touch with people. This lockdown has made life very difficult for many people.
This is a great list and I have found that most of them are so true. My mother is 90 and she was really missing my great niece who would spend the day with us everal times a month. I found a picture of her with my great niece and had a big canvas made. She hung it right across from her chair and it makes her smile ever time she looks at it.