From the Lynnwood Senior Center: Tips for staying engaged in era of social distancing

Google Arts and Culture offers a virtual art tour.

The Lynnwood Senior Center’s recently published newsletter, The Messenger, includes a range of advice to help older adults stay engaged and avoid isolation during the COVID-19 outbreak. We will republish some of these, by permission, including this installment on staying socially engaged.

Stay Engaged — Social Engagement

Whether you are quarantined, working remotely or just being cautious, now is the perfect time to practice using technology in socially healthy ways. Here are a few suggestions for how to connect without contact.

Schedule Phone or Video Chats with Friends

If you’re not able to meet up for your usual activities with friends, loneliness can set in fast. One way to combat this? Reach out to friends and family and suggest specific times to connect, whether that’s on the phone or via video chat. Scheduling specific times not only gives you something to look forward to but can make it easier for people to follow through on catching up. Maybe your church is streaming services online? Take a few minutes and figure out Skype or FaceTime with a friend or family member. If anything, the attempts and trials could lead to some much needed laughter and shared connections.

Digital Libraries

Online delivery services make a lot of things pretty fast, including receiving new books in the mail. What’s even faster? Downloading an e-book or audiobook. While some streaming services offer these materials for a free or reduced rate, libraries have a number oftitles available for free, too.

The Sno-Isle Library system has made their Overdrive digital library available to all card holders. You can find out how at www.sno-isle.org/digitalmedia.

If low vision or a physical problems like hand tremors prevent you from reading standard print materials, consider the Washington Talking Book and Braille Library. They boast over 90,000 audio books, all free through the mail (a physical tape player) or your mobile device.

Call 800-542-0866 or visit wtbbl.org to learn more about eligibility or get an application.

Take a Break From the News: Filling the Void

Psychologist Stewart Shankman of Northwestern University tells NPR that  once you’re reasonably informed and prepared, you’ve done enough. “There’s a point where, information gathering could become problematic,” Shankman explains. Rather than focusing on the headlines, be on the lookout for essential information from health organizations like the Center for Disease Control and Prevention and World Health Organization, while blocking out sensational news stories. Learn more at www.bit.ly/combat-stress-outbreaks.

Here’s your chance to be creative. Why not try listening to a new (or classic) music style? Or, look up that podcast your friend was talking about the other day. A podcast is a digital recording of an audio show available in a series, that is downloadable from the internet. You can listen whenever and wherever you like, and the styles and subjects are virtually unlimited. An easy way to search is totype “popular Podcasts” in your favorite search engine.

You’ve probably heard the term binge-watch? This refers to watching multiple episodes of a television series in a row to catch up. While it’s probably best for all of us to limit our intake to a few at a time, now is the time to catch that Oscar-nominated film or docuseries you’ve been meaning to see.

Armchair Adventures at Home

There is a way to enhance or refresh your knowledge while confined to your home. Google Arts & Culture teamed with over 500 museums and galleries around the world to bring anyone and everyone virtual tours and online exhibits of some of the most famous museums around the world. Simply search Google Arts and Culture in your favorite web browser and connect with the British Museum in London, the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, the Guggenheim in New York City, and literally hundreds ofmore places where you can gain knowledge about art, history, and science.

Locally, the Seattle Symphony is streaming select performances online. As their website states, “The Seattle Symphony willcontinue sharing performances that provide strength, comfort and joy. The musicians of the Seattle Symphony have generously volunteered to share free broadcasts with everyone during this time of uncertainty.” All broadcasts can be streamed throughthe Symphony’s social media channels on YouTube and Facebook.

Keep an eye out for other opportunities to learn or explore from home. Many art, science and entertainment outlets are using the internet to connect and share free resources remotely. An excellent online Arts & Entertainment list was compiled by the Yoknapatawpha Arts Council, in Oxford, MS and can be found at www.bit.ly/oxfordarts. Their page includes links to music, theater and performance, art and drawing, literary, education, and film resources all over the country.

You can learn more about The Messenger’s latest issue and read it online at this link.

 

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