#BUBBLE BUDDY PROFESSIONAL#

I do believe that amongst all the challenges that COVID has brought, that we are slowly but surely chipping away at this stigma. How sad that she spent those 10 days worrying about this, but unfortunately our society has made it difficult to reach out to others when we are wobbly because of the stigma that is still attached to not being “fine” all the time. It took my friend 10 days to ask me to be her bubble buddy because she didn’t want to ‘burden’ me with the responsibility. Feelings of happiness, purpose and belonging.Other benefits of having a high social connection are: This remained true across a number of factors, including age, sex, initial health status, and cause of death. A review of 148 studies indicated that the individuals with stronger social relationships had a 50% increased likelihood of survival. Research from the University of Cambridge, UK shows that social connections not only impact our mental health but our physical health as well. One thing COVID has taught us all is that we don’t need a lot of people in our lives, we just need a few important ones who we can genuinely connect with.Īs humans, we crave social connection which makes sense because for as far back as we can trace we travelled together, shared food, told stories and thrived in social groups. As a bridesmaid, you have to look elegant all night, keep your superficial smile plastered across your face and listen to boring speeches. As a bridesmaid, you spend hours being ‘made-up’ to look like someone you don’t even recognise.Īs a bubble buddy, you can slouch on the couch, drinking takeaway cocktails while watching Netflix. As a bridesmaid, you have to wear a dress that you’ll never put on again and high heels that hurt like hell.Īs a bubble buddy, you don’t need make-up and your friend does not judge you for all the grey hairs that are sprouting from all over the place.

I will say that I’ve been lucky enough to be a bridesmaid three times and had the most wonderful day each time, but when you think about the following comparisons, I’m sure you will agree that a bubble buddy experience is far better.Īs a bubble buddy, you get to wear your activewear and slippers. When they can only choose one other person in their community that they would like to hang out with during some of their most challenging months, it is incredibly rewarding to be trusted and considered a positive inclusion in the life of someone else. I know it is a privilege to be asked to be someone’s bridesmaid, but what I now know is that it is far more of an honour to be asked to be someone’s bubble buddy.

#BUBBLE BUDDY PROFESSIONAL#

As the monotony of lockdown continued and COVID restrictions kept worsening, my own personal and professional situation became harder and I realised that having one night a week with someone else was better than any experience I have ever had with being someone’s bridesmaid.

I initially said “yes” because I was a little bit worried about them, but I have to say it ended up being a saviour for my own mental health. They were struggling with working from home and being alone all the time, as they had all their immediate family overseas and no partner, pets or children here in Australia.

At the beginning of this last lockdown, I was asked to be someone’s bubble buddy.

Bubble buddy