Everyone’s life is changing these days, and there are a lot of new words and phrases going around—things like “social distancing” and “self-isolation.” Our everyday routines of socialization, meeting people and connecting with friends and family have been disrupted. We’re all staying home, and with that comes the adjustment of getting used to working from home, trying to homeschool your children or dealing with the isolation of living alone during this time.
However, staying at home and dealing with all of these challenges doesn’t mean being disconnected from your family and friends. In fact, the American Psychological Association recommends reaching out to others in self-isolation to stay connected and share your experiences. If you’re looking for ways to have a social life while social distancing, we’ve got a few tips and ideas.
Face-to-Facetime
Although you can’t go out for coffee or get drinks with your friends, there’s tons of different apps and sites you can use to catch up via video chat. From Facetime (for Apple devices only) to Facebook Messenger, you can hang out on Google Hangouts or Duo and say “what’s up?” with Skype or WhatsApp. Any of these apps will work for your virtual get-togethers—just choose one that everyone likes or is familiar with.
Start a virtual discussion club
Your book club or family movie nights might not look the same these days, but you can still discuss what you’re reading and watching. Agree on a book or movie with your friends or family, and then have a group video chat afterwards to talk about it. This might even be the perfect chance to read that literary classic you’ve been meaning to get around to or show your kids a classic movie they haven’t seen yet!
Watch a live at-home concert together
Musicians like John Legend and Chris Martin of Coldplay have used this situation to do live concerts, streaming from their home to yours. You can catch up on all the at-home concerts from the past few weeks on YouTube, and check Billboard’s schedule to see if any of your favourite artists are planning on doing one in the coming weeks. If you and your friends were planning on going to a concert that’s been cancelled, you could try watching a live show together while video chatting—it’s almost like the real thing!
Check in with an old friend
You probably have at least one friend or distant relative that you’ve been meaning to catch up with. Well, odds are they’re sitting at home looking for things to do too, and now is the perfect time to get back in touch! Send your friend a message, set up a time to call, and spend an evening chatting.
Connecting with your friends and family may not feel quite the same these days, but you can be creative and find new ways to stay in touch—and we’d love to hear about it! Let us know how you’re spending your self-isolation time by commenting on our blog or sending us a message on social media.
