Russ's Ravings: Forget Social Distancing. Try Physical Distancing

Editor's note: The following is Patch Field Editor Russ Crespolini's, hopefully, weekly column. It is reflective of his opinion alone.

We have used the word "unprecedented" so many times in the last couple years, we have become numb to its impact and its meaning. But the outbreak of novel coronavirus, or COVID19, over the last few months and the restrictions being used to stem the spread of the virus in just that.

It has been a challenging time for all of us. And while so many have tried to come together to make it easier, there are others who seem to exist to make it worse for us all.

You know who I am talking about. The conspiracy theorists, the arrogant and those who believe that these stay-at-home orders are made for other people. Those teenagers you see hanging out in a public park too close for comfort or safety. Those who insist on heading to the store for just one item that really isn't needed.

Or those who make a run for coffee for no reason.

Even if you yourself are ok you risk being a carrier to those who may not be. There is someone in my own family (not immediate) who went out to get coffee and drank it in the car with her boyfriend, who she does not live with. She does live with her daughter and two elderly parents. She has now put them all at risk.

And this is why the curve flattening is such a tall order.

This situation is scary and frustrating and stressful enough. There is no need to make it worse.

What we do need to do, in this age of global pandemic, is make it about physical distancing, not social distancing. We don't need social distancing right now. While that term may broadly apply, and assist with, the flattening of the curve and the spread of the coronavirus, what we are actually talking about is physical distancing.

But while we need to be physically apart from those we do not live with, now is not the time to be socially distant. The truth of the matter is we need each other more than possibly we ever had before. Because as important as our physical health is, so is our mental health.

We have so much to worry about right now that spans beyond whether or not we get ill. We worry about our jobs and our financial obligations, we worry about our ability as a nation to recover from this economically.

Personally I know that the rest of my career will include after action and recovery reports from what this pandemic did to our world. But we have to get there first.

I know there are so many people who lost jobs, or saw colleagues lose jobs or see their businesses suffer because of this. That is not my situation. I know there are people who cannot assist their children with the rigors of homeschooling on top of their regular workload and household duties. That is not my situation.

These days are hard on everyone. I spend most of my day sifting through reports and immersed in the tragedy that this virus has inflicted on us. It is a steady, sometimes overwhelming barrage. So sure, I am scared because I pay attention more than most.

It's my job.

So what gets me through my fear and anxiety on tough days are the same things that got me through my brain surgery and recovery. My loved ones. My family, my friends. All of you who lift me up and make me feel as if I matter when I feel I don't. So while we physically distance ourselves from these people, now is when we need to connect with them socially all the more.

I see my daughter using Kids Messenger and Facetime to have playdates with her friends and do art work and write stories and record videos together. Every night I put on my video game headset and chat with friends I've had for decades as we play through our latest cyber adventure. Right now we're playing a game where we're teens fighting robots in 1989 Sweden.

Its weird.

But there we talk about our mental status and work situation and talk each other down when we need to.

This, of course, is not a substitute for professional help. And it shouldn't be. For those of us who need treatment for anxiety and need assistance we can't allow this situation to push that out of our lives. We need to contact our care providers and make arrangements through telemedicine to keep ourselves on an even keel.

I believe we will get through this. But how fast we recover and how quickly we are able to resume our lives and adapt to what else is coming will depend almost solely on how we manage the now. And not just physically, but mentally.

So yes, engage in physical distancing, but make sure you are socially connected. You can always drop me a line too. I'm an email away and would love to hear from you.

Russ Crespolini is a Field Editor for Patch Media, adjunct professor and college newspaper advisor. His columns have won awards from the National Newspaper Association and the New Jersey Press Association.

He writes them in hopes of connecting with readers and engaging with them. And because it is cheaper than therapy. He can be reached at russ.crespolini@patch.com