Social Distancing and Your Health

Social Distancing and Your Health

At Bond&Devick we are committed to taking care of your financial health.  While we cannot control the markets, we can control your risk levels and how we react to the markets, mostly by trying to take emotions out of our decision-making process.  We also care about your overall health. Right now we are especially concerned about the mental health of our clients, our team, and our friends and family.  Here are a few things we heard have helped people get through these long days of isolation.

First of all, we do not like the term Social Distancing, which was the number one Google search over the past few weeks.  We prefer the term Physical Distancing.  In order to bend the curve of the virus infections we need to keep ourselves physically distanced from each other.  However, it is important we are not emotionally distanced from our loved ones at the same time.  It is important to check in with family (especially older family members), friends and colleagues.  Humans are social beings, making it vital to retain our social and emotional connections.  This is especially true If you or your loved ones suffer from depression or loneliness.  So how do we keep our social bonds going right now?

Virtual Get Togethers

We have had virtual happy hours, virtual Rotary meetings and just virtual check ins.  Presbyterian Homes is using technology to keep their residents connected to their families by setting up video chat times.  Talking on the phone is good but having face to face interaction provides a deeper level of personal connection, which is crucial right now.  Facetime is great for people who have iPhones.  There are also free apps, such as Zoom and WhatsApp which provide free video chat capabilities on Android phones and non-Apple tablets.

For those of you who watch Netflix, you can download the Netflix Party app, this allows you to watch a show at the same time as your friends and send each other messages.  It’s the next best thing to sitting next to your buddies.

Your Health

Exercise!  There is no better way to reduce stress than exercising.  If you are used to going to a club there is a good chance they are posting online workouts that you can do together!  Or if the weather is good get outside!  Go for walks and stretch your legs.  It is ok to enjoy the outdoors, just keep your distance from others.

Lastly, meditation or calming exercises work great.  There are many available online and in the app stores.  To relax and remain calm it is best to limit your time watching the news, scrolling through social media, and reading online news.  There is a fine line between being informed and obsessing.  Replacing 30 minutes of news with 30 minutes of mediation or exercise may go a long way to reduce stress.

Remember, social distancing doesn’t mean we aren’t together.  Hang in there, be kind to one another and we can’t wait to see everyone in the not too distant future!

The Bond&Devick Team