What to do if you are missing your school friends

Spending so much time away from your school friends can be tough, especially when you are used to seeing them most days.

Our lives and the way we connect with our friends has changed a lot due to COVID-19 (Coronavirus). It can be tough, and understandable, that we miss spending time with friends. Connecting with others is a really good way of looking after our wellbeing and it’s important that we still check in and spend time with our friends in different ways.

Staying connected

When you are used to seeing your school friends almost everyday it can be difficult not seeing them at the moment due to social distancing. Here are some things that might help. You might also find our article on 10 ways of staying connected useful.

Set up a virtual homework/study space

You may be missing the interactions you would usually have during the school day. It could be a good idea to set up a virtual work or study space where you are all on a video call while doing school work. This lets you chat as you are working and help each other out if needed. It can give you that feeling of being a bit closer to them.

Be creative together

If you or someone in your friend group enjoys being creative, maybe they could teach the rest of the group something. Maybe you could paint a picture, bake together over video call or even learn something completely new together like origami (paper folding), football skills or a dance routine.

Make use of free resources

Lots of organisations and apps have made their resources free over the next while. It could be fun to try some of these out together such as yoga, online jigsaws or virtual museum tours. Many musicians are also doing live concerts on social media that you could all tune into together and sing along. Check out a list of free resources here.

Support your community

Volunteering in your community could be a great way to stay connected to friends while helping others. Find out if there is any way you could support a local organisation. Many people are getting involved in fundraising or campaigns with their friend groups through social media. Share ideas with your friends and see if there are any campaigns at the moment you would like to get involved in.

Let them know they are missed

Some of your friends might be feeling isolated more than others. Let them know they are missed, and the little things you miss about spending time with them. It could be good to think of some of the funny or enjoyable memories you have of them and remind them of this.

Remember this will pass

At times it can be hard to see the end in sight for social distancing, and you may wonder when you will see your friends again. It’s important to remember that this will pass eventually. If you are struggling to stay positive and focus on the present check out our tips on staying positive and practicing mindfulness.

Feeling overwhelmed or anxious around the current pandemic?

• Get anonymous support 24/7 with our text message support service
• Connect with a trained volunteer who will listen to you, and help you to move forward feeling better
• Text SPUNOUT to 086 1800 280 to begin
• Find out more about our text message support service

This situation is completely new to everyone involved and it is normal to feel worried or anxious about what is going on. Following the Government’s instructions on how to stay safe and help slow the spread of the virus, can help to make you feel more in control of your current situation.