Introducing a Challenge: Social Sundays!
With lockdown in Lugano, sometimes it’s hard for me to not self isolate for a few days. Likewise, I’m sure it’s the same for any admitted or prospecting students, parents, and faculty. But life continues on despite the pandemic and especially now days can get a bit muddled together. We can get used to only seeing the faces in our proximity.
Perhaps it’s been weeks since you’ve talked to some friends from high school (the ones you want to keep in contact with, of course), or you’ve lost touch with old friends who you’ve only ever been happy around but they live ever so far away.
I challenge you to reach out to people this Sunday. (psst. the day this is published, today!)
Make an effort to reach out to 1-5 friends who you haven’t spoken to for a week at least and ask how their life has been. Rekindling friendships (even for a moment!) can really boost your self-esteem and make someone’s day just a bit brighter. I’m not saying reach out to anyone who has hurt you or you miss but shouldn’t (we don’t have any time for that drama in our life right now). So my best advice is to choose a few trusted individuals who you know will be happy to hear from you.
So why social Sundays?
The idea was pitched to me as a potential blog entry by Hava Mansouri, ‘21. She regularly reaches out
to old friends on Sundays and feels that it’s a calm and relaxing day to do so! I thought it was a lovely idea, and since I’m one of two midterm weeks through, I’m planning to take part! My mental health will definitely improve from it, as some of my friendships back home have fallen off a bit. Aside from simply asking how someone is doing, here are a few different ways you can try!
Planning a meet up right then and there
Do you have those friends who exchange the idea of hanging out with but never actually get to? It’s nobody’s fault really, but putting in the extra effort to set a date and time will allow you to set up the plan of reconnecting! I particularly believe brunch is a very easy avenue, as it’s early on in the day
before responsibilities become overwhelming.
Offer to call/facetime
You probably already call your parents at least once a week, so setting a similar routine with a friend can be extremely beneficial! It’s nice to talk face to face, as sometimes after a while texting can feel insincere if you have nothing specific to talk about.
Try being pen pals
If you’re into any creative art projects, writing a letter back and forth with a friend is super fulfilling. The wait time may be long, but you’ll be able to treasure your exchanges for years to come! It all adds up and makes for a lovely routine.
Plan to watch movies together
In-person or online, bonding over a movie is an easy segway into getting close to someone again. For in-person, I’d recommend a movie you both have watched. A bit of nostalgia alongside having the liberty to talk throughout it will let you two pick off from where you left off! Let the movie be mostly
background noise to your conversations.
However, for online, I recommend a new movie and being on call if possible. Not being exposed to the content before will have you both wanting to talk about it (if that’s your style, that’s certainly mine). So, share a cool moment of starting a new show or movie together so that you can always have a talking
point to get back to.
When it’s Sunday…
Think about who you miss and would like to update on your life. If this is very out of your comfort zone,
I’d say reach out to 1-2 people! But if you’re more extroverted.. why not reach out to more? You never know who’s day you’ll make and how much better and productive you’ll feel after getting in contact with old friends.
Plus, this isn’t a quiz, there’s no right or wrong way to go about it. So good luck!
To our next meet-up via the web!
Ci vediamo presto!
(We will see each other soon),
Lara
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