In our last contribution, we discussed how important it is to be safe, be smart and be kind to collectively get through the COVID-19 outbreak - and in how much our country has changed in the past two weeks, these three words are more important than ever.
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We've now living where we keep our distance to keep everyone safe. Working from home is a reality for some - and sadly many others are out of work - and families are spending time together rather than going out. But when we aren't seeing people every single day, our social contact is drifting too. We've all heard the term of social distancing - but we need to remain socially connected. We should be physically distancing ourselves from others, but we can't stop connecting.
And in this time of uncertainty, connecting together is one of the few ways we can unite in this experience. As Global Shapers, we know of many people that are currently in self-isolation because of medical reasons. They aren't doing it because they have been overseas or interstate, but they have to do it for health reasons - and have been doing it for weeks. Many of us are rightly limiting our travel and trips out of the house in response to the government advice, but there are some of us in our community who are living as though they are in lockdown right now.
They are family members who have missed gatherings in past weeks. They are workmates who you might still see occasionally on group chat platforms, but aren't seeing pop up in two many areas. They are people in the neighbourhood that aren't keeping to their normal routines on the streets because they are spending more time at home.
As a kind compassionate community, we cannot simply only focus on ourselves. We cannot let those who we normally say hello to be forgotten. Take five minutes and think about who you normally see across a week - and if you haven't talked to them lately, get in touch. Say hello with a text message. Give family members a video call that can go across borders. Call people to chat with them rather than just sending emails. Check in with those you care about. We can't let the current environment make us lose touch with each other - because we need each other more than ever.
For those who are self-isolating because of medical reasons, please reach out to the Launceston Global Shapers Hub on Facebook - we want to help as we can to see that no one is socially isolated through this time. And for everyone - stay safe, smart and kind.
- The Global Shapers Community is a network of young people working to address regional and global challenges.
