Calling All Friends

I hope that you're staying safe and calm during this unprecedented, scary time. I am praying for the health of our communities here in New York, throughout the US, in Greece, and around the entire world.

By Katerina Mountanos

March 22, 2020

Dear Kosterina Family,

I hope that you're staying safe and calm during this unprecedented, scary time. I am praying for the health of our communities here in New York, throughout the US, in Greece, and around the entire world.

Our new quarantined lives can make it difficult to stay sane during this time of change. There is lots of anxiety across the board. I, for one, spend at least 30-40 minutes per day fully convinced that I have coronavirus (I don’t). We are all adapting to new schedules, ways of working and in some cases, not able to work at all.

What’s helped me get through these times so far has been my friends. I've been spending the last few days calling friends I haven't spoken to in a while, and texting others to check-in. The craziness of this time has allowed me to slow down and find space for the friendships and connections I've been craving - but felt too busy to slot into my calendar. What if we looked at this crisis as a positive opportunity to reconnect with old friends in creative ways?

Check out this MindBodyGreen podcast episode from earlier this week, which talks about the importance of friendship, especially during this new world of social distancing. Len Denworth, the author of the new book Friendship describes the health benefits of being a good friend (and what happens to our immunity when we aren't).

Denworth also references a study from the University of Kansas that shows in order for us to be a "best" friend, we have to commit to 200 hours of relationship-building with that individual – so interesting! That feels so easy to reach when you’re young and spend a lot of time in school, sports and leisure time. As a busy working mom though, I wonder whether I’ll ever have the time to make another best friend again…? I guess for now I’ll hold on tight to the ones I have (love you guys).

So my advice for what it’s worth – call your friends, start a group text chain or make some time for virtual coffee chats over Skype. In a time when we're physically far apart, let's stay connected and we'll get through it all together.