I started to add a daily coping tip to the SQLServerCentral newsletter and to the Community Circle, which is helping me deal with the issues in the world. I’m adding my responses for each day here. All my coping tips are under this tag.

Today’s tip is to call a relative who is far away to say hello and have a chat.

This is an easy one this time of year. If you didn’t make time during the holidays, do so now. For me, I try to call my Mom every week or two and chat a bit. We also email and text, but it’s good to keep in touch.

My brother is busy, with three kids in high school now, and we don’t talk enough, but I reached out a few times across the last few weeks to chat and say hi. We even had a family video chat on Christmas day.

I also joined my wife in reaching out to her sisters, who we haven’t seen in a long time because of the pandemic.

I’m not a big talk-on-the-phone person, but it was good to reach out and touch a few others.