The Pandemic Isn’t Over: 5 Crowdsourced Tips for Physical Distancing

Here’s how the DoSomething community is keeping their distance.

At this point, a lot of us have lost track of the time we’ve spent physical distancing. There are some super promising vaccines on the way, but it’ll be a while before they’re available to the general public. In the meantime, the coronavirus pandemic continues with a recent surge in cases that’s got us thinking hard about the challenging winter to come. That means the current public health guidelines still stand in order to keep our communities safe -- including physical distancing.

The good news is, physical distancing and other pandemic-era restrictions have now become secondhand for a lot of us, developed over the past eight months or so. As we prepare for a new season with COVID-19, we reached out to the DoSomething community to get their best advice for staying healthy and safe through physical distancing. Here are their tips!

1) Find creative ways to keep a safe distance.

By now it’s pretty much been drilled into our heads that six feet away is where we need to be from one another. But unless you’re walking around with a tape measure, it can be tricky to gauge how far that is exactly. Here are some creative ways that DoSomething members have for finding that six-foot sweet spot.

“Like driving a car -- I pick an item in front of me (to the side) that is halfway between me and the people around me. I am sure to stay 6 ft away,” says DoSomething member Emmalyn.

“My tip for physical distancing is to imagine my bed in front of me and the other person standing behind it,” says DoSomething member Laila, 25.

Even if you’re staying six feet away, you may not be so confident that others will be as diligent. Don’t be afraid to give folks a little reminder to stay out of your space.

“My tip for physical distancing is always making sure you wear something on your clothing to remind others to stay 6 feet away,” says DoSomething member Nicole, 22. “I wear little pins on my clothing that say ‘stay 6 feet away’ & ‘if you can read this you are too close.’”

“My tip for physical distancing is talking a little louder to people around you. It sounds silly, but it makes people more aware of how close they are standing,” says DoSomething member Michaela. “The quieter you talk the more likely people are to come closer to hear better. So if you talk louder, people are more likely to stand farther away.”

2) Stay active and get outside (safely).

You may have perfected the quintessential quarantine activity of laying on the couch binge-watching YouTube videos, but it’s important to spend some time getting your body outside and moving every so often. In addition to the physical, there are also lots of mental and emotional benefits to spending time outdoors -- it’s like a natural stress reliever. No need for a full-on outdoor exercise routine either. Just a quick walk in the sun will do you wonders.

“Make sure that while you're maintaining a safe social distance, to also ensure you're spending some time in nature and maintaining active,” says DoSomething member Gia, 17. “For someone with a backyard this might look like sitting outside for a few minutes and for others it might be taking a walk around the block. I personally like to go in my backyard and do yoga.”

The outdoors is also great for physically distanced hangouts because you’ve got so much more space and open air to keep your risk down when meeting with others. Be sure to enjoy the weather while it’s still manageable (or just be prepared to break out the winter coat, scarf, and gloves to get your outdoors time).

“My tip for physical distancing is to be creative and find new ways to hang out with others while maintaining your distance, such as a socially distanced picnic or going for a socially distanced hike,” says DoSomething member Ava, 19.

3) Keep up with testing and exposure.

If your region offers one, consider using a contact tracing app that notifies you if you’ve been in close contact with another app user that has tested positive for COVID-19. Here are instructions for downloading them on iPhone and Android devices. Of course, the most effective way to know and manage your risk is to get tested regularly. You won’t have to second guess whether you’ve been exposed to the virus or not.

“Download the app that lets you know who has been infected...Keep your circle small as small [as possible] and constantly get tested,” says DoSomething member Ansdrird. “I get tested every month and even though I always come out negative, it still doesn't hurt to be 100% positive. It's a free testing so why not?”

Knowing your status helps you stay up to date with your health, but it also helps keep others safe as well. If you or someone you know tests positive or comes in contact with someone who has, you know to be extra strict with your quarantine to avoid spreading it further.

4) Go virtual when you can.

Not sure about you, but we’re feeling pretty lucky to live in a time when technology is more effective and widely available than ever before -- which means being stuck at home doesn’t feel quite as challenging as it may have just a few decades ago. Take advantage of Zoom, FaceTime, Discord, texting, calling, and so many other tools to stay connected without ever going outside.

“Find fun hobbies you can do at home to avoid going out when unnecessary,” says DoSomething member Xavier, 17. “You can play virtual games with friends to avoid in-person games...Like downloading cards instead of playing with physical ones or ordering delivery instead of going into a crowded grocery store.”

Seriously, folks are getting super creative when it comes to bringing IRL activities online -- you can find virtual concerts, museum tours, fitness classes, and more.

5) Be selective about going outside.

Whether it’s to stock up on groceries, pick up medication, or get tested, you’re likely going to need to go out in public for some essential things. In these cases, be choosy about where and when you venture out.

“My tip for physical distancing is to always have a mask handy and never put myself in a situation that is overcrowded,” says DoSomething member Joselyn, 18. “For example, if I need to go to the store to grab an essential, I ask myself what time would be the least crowded to go in order to practice social distancing.”

A good rule of thumb is to try to go places either really early in the morning or really late at night when other folks are less likely to be around (or even a day of the week with less traffic). If you want to be super precise, use online tools to find the best time.

“My tip for physical distancing is to look up when a store's busy hours are before going out,” says DoSomething member Madisen, 19. “When you Google the hours for a store, a graph will usually pop up showing you how busy they typically are from hour to hour. This chart can be extremely helpful for when you do need to leave your house so that you can avoid any crowds.”