Forced myself to say yes to all plans; got me off my phone and made friends

As a preschool teacher I often urged children to try new things, yet I wasn't following my own advice. After the COVID-19 lockdowns, asking someone out felt daunting, new activities sounded intimidating, and expanding my horizons seemed unsettling. Boredom and endless scrolling left me tired of erasing texts inviting people to events, so I pushed myself to say yes to plans, activities, people, and places.

I said yes even when I was tired. Having moved for college, grad school, and work left my friends scattered, so I intentionally accepted invites to birthday parties, Galentine's events, karaoke, clothing swaps, and bar crawls. It didn't matter if I barely knew the person who invited me or if plans were rescheduled — I kept showing up and slowly built a circle of friends.

Saying yes also revealed opportunities nearby.

preschool teacher, covid-19, saying yes, socializing, friendship, phone scrolling, galentine's, karaoke, bar crawl, clothing swap