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So looking to one of the positives that came out of COVID-19, I actually spent more time chatting and connecting with people than I would have otherwise.

I think the main reason is that when you know something is there, you kind of take it for granted. For me, I told myself that I could go catch up with people anytime, so I didn’t feel any pressure to ever do it. With social distancing, I started to feel like catching up with people wasn’t as readily available; so I set more time aside for it.

Will this mean there’s any difference to how much I catch up after the pandemic? I think I’m partly spending more time with people because I have a little bit more spare time. This is going to change, I’m sure I’ll be going back having my life filled to the brim with obligations soon enough. Even so, I think that I will see friends more than I used to before. I’ve finally put in the effort to have regular catch ups, and it really isn’t that hard once the time is set aside.

I’ve also learnt how to better connect with people online. As friends go interstate, it’s good to be familiar and comfortable with video call catch-ups. Face to face isn’t always an option and it’s good to still keep in touch. I wouldn’t know about all the little tricks and games you can play online if this hadn’t happened.

Being trapped at home hasn’t always felt amazing, but I’m glad that some positive things have come out of it.