As the COVID-19 pandemic has made its way around the world, we’ve all had to create a new normal. Even staying connected to loved ones has taken on a new meaning.
Human connection is important to all of us, which is why not being able to spend time with family and friends can be a shock to the system. While you might not be able to be in the physical presence of friends and family, there are still ways to stay connected and spend time together.
We’ve put some of our top suggestions together for you.
Staying Connected to Loved Ones During a Pandemic
Make Scheduled Video Calls
Sometimes you just need to see the face of someone you love to feel better about life again. Skype, Zoom, Hangouts and WhatsApp can all be used to set up video calls with friends and family until you can see them again. To make sure that you don’t stop connecting with others and regularly support one another, it helps to create a plan or schedule that you can follow.
Play Some Games
This is a great way for your children to keep in touch with family and their friends. It’s not that difficult to play games together without being in the same room either. There countless ways to play video games together online. There are even certain board games that you can play together via video calls – Scrabble, Guess Who and Chess being some of them.
If you need other ideas for keeping your kids busy, here are our suggestions.
Plan an Online Movie Night
Find a time for you and your loved ones to sit down and watch a movie together. If everyone has Netflix, it’s very easy to all watch the same movie at once. If you want to take it one step further, you can also install Netflix Party, which allows you to synchronise video playback and chat as a group throughout the movie. It does only work on a computer or laptop if you use the Chrome browser though.
Stay Fit Together
If you’re usually out hiking or running as a group, there are ways that you and your friends can stay fit together from home. Countless fitness brands and influencers are posting free fitness content that anyone can access, with YouTube and Instagram being two of the most popular platforms.
Recommended Read: What to Do Now That You Can’t Go On Holiday
Have Your Usual Coffee Date
If you and your friends meet up once a week to grab a cup of coffee and catch up, stick to that ritual. It might have to be a virtual coffee date but doing things that still make life feel more normal can be good for your mental and emotional health.
Plan a Party
If you’re missing laughing, dancing and enjoying a good meal with your friends and family, get everyone together to plan a themed party. This gives everyone the chance to get involved and have a good time right from home. You can even create invites to ensure everyone is on time and has food and drink ready. Get one person to organise music for everyone to enjoy, creating a fun, vibey atmosphere.
Staying connected to loved ones right now is more important than ever. Not only will it improve your mental health but it will help reduce stress during a time that we need it the most. Plus, it helps us to start adopting practices that might form part of our day-to-day lives for some time to come.
