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Too Much Alone Time? Tips To Connect And Find Joy While Social Distancing

The isolation that comes with social distancing carries serious physical and mental health risks. Here's how to forge new connections and nurture friendships, without leaving home.
Source: Tracy Lee for NPR

We are social creatures. So it's no surprise that quarantine fatigue has begun to set in.

"Humans are wired to come together physically," says psychologist Judith Moskowitz of Northwestern University. But, loneliness has become widespread in modern life. And, social distancing has just exacerbated the problem," Moskowitz says.

Finding ways to connect is essential to our well-being, since prolonged isolation can increase the risk of depression and anxiety, says Dr. Sandro Galea of Boston University's School of Public Health. "We know from other events, the longer the isolation, the more risk," Galea says.

Social distancing recommendations will remain in place for months to come, and until there's a vaccine, limits on big gatherings will likely continue. For the elderly or those who live alone,

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