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Originally Posted by downandlonely
I really embraced Zoom groups during this pandemic. I started with mental health support groups and later joined Overeaters Anonymous (a 12 step fellowship). Even now that some groups are meeting in person, I prefer Zoom as it's safer and I don't have to drive.
There are all sorts of virtual meetings available on meetup.com too, so you can connect with others who have shared interests.
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I've also embraced using video conferencing with my therapist, some medical appointments, music therapy appointments, and occasional social appointments. It's a great alternative to stay connected while shielding/isolating/quaranteening/etc.
Safely going outside for a limited amount of time while maintaining social distancing and mostly masking is also healthy. Outdoors is safer when done in small groups, and it's safest when all persons are vaccinated/boosted (2 weeks after the booster shot is considered fully vaccinated) and properly masked (wearing a KN95, N95, N99, or double-masking with a surgical mask underneath a cloth mask - all tightly covering the top of the nose down to underneath the mouth; the masks should not have any respirator valves, since that can spread pathogens).
Although I'm shielding, I'll occasionally go outside for a brief walk, or at least to dump the trash and recycling - all while masked and wearing other PPE. I mainly do essentials, which includes occasional walking. I never shop inside stores anymore, and I only go to my necessary medical appointments (if I can put off certain medical or dental appointments, I will opt to choose online video or telehealth options in lieu of in-person visits).
I've been able to maintain my mental health and work on dealing with racial traumas and other past and present traumas by maintaining a sense of purpose, a constantly-improving routine (I still have a ways to go, but I struggled with this before the pandemic, too), finding support with others who hold similar public safety values, and do what I can to improve my own health while also promoting better health to others through spreading awareness and dispelling disinformation/misinformation. I now see it as my civic duty, which gives me a sense of purpose, which then helps combat my pandemic fatigue. When you feel that your efforts are worth something and meaningful, you will persevere despite your fatigue. You'll still pace yourself and take many breaks, but you will still be public-safety conscious.