How to Start Meaningful Friendships in a Socially Distant World

5 creative ways to cultivate stronger relationships

Photo by Toa Heftiba on Unsplash

Funny story: this time last year, I set an “intention statement” for 2020 vowing that it would be the “year of relationships.” Ha! Ha ha ha.

As a perfect example of life throwing curveballs and things not always going according to plan… the pandemic made it difficult to cultivate relationships in the way I was used to (happy hour with coworkers, meeting friends for coffee, traveling, etc.).

Nurturing friendships, meeting new people… this is often challenging for me as an introvert, and that’s why I knew it needed to take priority in 2020. I crave connection like anyone else. Little did we know, 2020 would be the year we needed it most.

Connection is like a daily vitamin for our mental health. And in a time of overwhelming anxiety, stress, and loneliness, our friendships are lifegiving.

I realized that I couldn’t wait around for things to return to “normal” before making good on my promise. So I asked myself, how do I adapt to this new environment and continue to be “social” even when we can’t be together physically?

I’ve been intentional about nurturing existing relationships and making new ones. I wanted to grow in areas…