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Sometimes, getting out of the house and talking to people is too much to handle. The following suggestions can be done from your home & minimize voice conversation, but still provide you with some form of socialization.
Feeling like you’re not alone in your experience is incredibly powerful.
If it is overwhelming to leave the house right now, but you’re comfortable doing activities from home & having conversations with others, try the following:
Not in crisis, but just need to talk to someone? Try calling a warmline! Warmlines were created so that people can have non-crisis support calls with trained volunteers. These calls are typically free, confidential, and run by people who understand what it’s like to struggle with mental health problems.
What to know before you call:
Virtual volunteering has many rewards – not only do others benefit from your help, but giving back to others can improve your mood. Check out the following opportunities below:
SOURCE: 25 Volunteer Jobs to Do from Home
Coffee shops can be a great starting place for when you aren’t feeling up for talking to many people, but you also don’t want to feel alone. Plus, the promise of coffee and/or a sweet treat can be a great motivator to get out of the house. Make it a goal to have a short interaction with at least one person, even if that means saying hello and asking how their day is going.
Along the lines of the coffee shop, spending time in a park can be a great way to spend time with people, without necessarily having to talk extensively with them. Have a dog? Go to a dog park and strike up a short conversation about another person’s pet. Easy conversation start + you’ll have your furry friend there for moral support.
While it may be difficult for you to initiative making plans, try to resist the temptation to say no to invitations from others to spend time with them, even if you really don’t want to go. Oftentimes, you may notice that if you are able to spend time with people you care about, your mood will also improve.
Reconnecting with old friends usually isn’t as scary as meeting a new group of people. Check out social media for ideas and then send people some texts to check in and perhaps make plans to meet.
Meetup is a website created for people to connect with others and find in-person events for people with similar interests. Find meetups for activities such as reading books, watching movies, playing sports, making crafts or create your own group if your interest isn’t represented.
Participating in an adult class or workshop can be a great way to meet others while learning something new. Want to make some new culinary creations? Take a cooking class and chat with the people at your table, Search for available classes online, from crafting to dancing to woodworking classes, or check out local community colleges.
Get in touch:
Let’s face it – depression can make reading really difficult. That’s why we’ve tried to make this website as accessible as possible – no long paragraphs, and text-to-speech capabilities. Simply highlight the text you want to read and press the play button.*
*if you are using text-to-speech on a mobile phone, make sure the sound is on