In this time of social distancing, we tend to feel like we’re losing touch with many people that we love and care about. No matter how tough the times are, there is still a way for us to cherish that special bond we have with our loved ones. Here’s how you can reach out to your friends and family during these tough times.
Take time to talk
It’s completely okay to have all kinds of mixed feelings right now. However, you can’t let yourself burry those emotions and pretend they don’t exist. That is why sharing them with your loved ones can be crucial. Take time to talk to your friends and family. You’ll find that sharing how you feel with them will also create a stronger bond between you. These conversations will also help you gain a new perspective on everything that’s been happening. You’ll feel less lonely once you talk to people who understand and support you.
Use this chance to check on your friends and family as well. See how they’re doing. Ask them if they need any help. Talk about this situation and comfort each other. Plus, starting your day by talking to your loved ones can really brighten up your mood.
Online activities
During this time of social distancing, modern-day technology becomes very useful. There are many online activities you can use to stay in touch with your loved ones. You can play fun games, participate in pop quizzes, or enjoy some live-streamed classes and activities together.
Video Chat
You can always arrange weekly video chats with your friends to catch up with them and talk about what’s happening in your lives. There are many apps and platforms such as Skype, FaceTime, and Zoom that you can use for this.
Pick Up the Phone
A simple phone call can do just as fine. You may not be able to see them, but you’ll hear your friends’ voices and that can also be very meaningful. Call them to check on them and ask them how they’re doing every once in a while.
Start Group Chats
To keep up with your family or different groups of friends, you can also make group chats with them. You can use apps like WhatsApp and Facebook. These group chats can be your place to share funny pictures and videos when you’re feeling down.
Send them a thoughtful gift
To cheer your loved ones up, you can also make them some creative gift baskets and send it to them as a surprise. Something small, yet very thoughtful will definitely bring a smile on their face.
Have a movie night
Even though you can’t see each other in person, there is still a way for you to organise a movie night. All you need is a Netflix Party. It’s a plug-in that allows both of you to stream a movie at the same time. You can even pause it whenever you need to. In addition to that, Netflix Party also has a chat window so that you can talk to each other while watching the movie.
Join or create a virtual book club
Many people find comfort in being a part of a specific community. Twitter is one of the perfect examples of an app that allows people to connect through their mutual interests.
For instance, you can find friends there who are willing to form a virtual book club with you. This way, you’ll meet new people and gain friends who like to read the same books as you. Then, you can gather once every week to talk about what you’ve read.
Listen to the radio
Believe it or not, listening to the radio can be very comforting too. Even though you don’t exactly interact with other people, knowing that there are so many other people listening to the same thing you’re listening right now can be a very warm and comforting feeling. You can also choose to listen to audiobooks or podcasts.
Share the simple pleasures
Lastly, make sure you share small and simple pleasures of life with the people you love the most. For instance, you can send your friends some links to music you think they’d like, uplifting photos, snaps of what you’re doing daily, memes, jokes, and funny videos.
This will help create that sense of closeness that we’re all missing right now. Imagine how much you can make someone’s day just by sending them something funny or writing them a thoughtful and heart-warming message.
Conclusion
All things considered, losing touch with some of our closest friends and family must be very tough. However, there is still a way for us to reach out to them, make sure they are okay, and still maintain a very close and strong bond with them.
Jasmine Anderson is a Sydney based lifestyle blogger and a toddler mom. She loves to spend quality time with her family, go thrifting, and spend just a little bit too much time on the internet.