How to Stay Connected While Social Distancing & Avoid Loneliness

Learn how to stay connected while social distancing and avoid the effects of loneliness and isolation during the coronavirus crisis.

The entire Covid-19 situation has left us completely cut off from the social lives we used to know. However, it is possible to learn how to stay connected while social distancing!

Just a few short months ago, we took for granted the fact we could head off to see a friend and sit in a cafe or bar without any restrictions, other than closing time. Those halcyon days indeed!

Of course, it’s important to remember that those days will come again. We just need to be patient, do what we have to do in the meantime, and maintain our social distance. If that means not seeing our nearest and dearest in person for a while, unfortunately then so be it. Safety first!

However, just because you can’t head over and see your friends and family in person, that doesn’t mean you can’t stay connected in other ways. [Read: Are you suffering from isolation and cabin fever? Here’s how to fix it]

Understanding how to stay connected while social distancing basically comes down to technology. Thankfully, we live in an age where there is plenty of that! If you have a smart phone, a laptop or tablet and a reliable Internet connection, you’re good to go. Thankfully, most people have those things.

[Read: How to maintain your sanity and stay connected during pandemic isolation]

Why is it important to learn how to stay connected while social distancing?

Firstly, we have no idea how long we’re going to have to do this. Secondly, it’s important to maintain connections with those we care about. The current time is difficult for everyone, but some people are finding that their anxiety levels are spiking.

We deal with difficult situations by finding strength in those around us, and it means that we need to find novel and innovative ways to stay connected even though we can’t see each other in person.

Just having a chat with your best friend over the phone could be all you need to perk up your day and brush away that dark cloud that you woke up with that morning. The same goes for your friends and family. Maybe spending half an hour chatting with you about nothing in particular will help them feel happier and able to continue on with the day on a brighter note.

[Read: How to fight loneliness during a pandemic]

In times like this, it’s not what you have that matters, it’s who you have. So, if we can’t do face to face meetings, what can we do? Let’s learn how to stay connected while social distancing.

#1 Have regular Zoom parties. Zoom might be primarily for work meetings, but it’s been adopted as the platform of choice for friends and family members coming together for virtual parties over the last few weeks! You could all sit, connected via Zoom and watch the same movie. You could even have your own private nightclub session!

There are many ways you can learn how to stay connected while social distancing, but this is one of the best for getting several people together and basically socializing in the same way you would do otherwise, minus the personal touch.

#2 Create WhatsApp groups. If you haven’t already, set up a WhatsApp group of your friends or family. Shoot messages off throughout the day whenever a funny thought enters your mind. Any funny gifs or memes you see, send them to the group.

You’ll probably find that you spend most of the day on the group. And, the time passes far faster. It’s a genius way to stay connected. Plus, you can send voice messages to the group for a more vocal touch. [Read: The art of staying motivated during quarantine]

#3 Be a little more active on social media. Most of us are spending more time on our social media platforms at the moment. And social media is a great way to learn how to stay connected while social distancing. Reach out to the people you have on your friends list who you don’t speak to much. You never know, maybe they need a little human contact during this difficult time!

The strength that people find in human interactions should never be underestimated. It could be liking a picture, commenting on a post, or just sending a quick “hey, how are you” message. Whatever it is, it’s a way to stay connected.

Perhaps we will all come out of this situation having re-connected with our old friends. In that light, it’s a real positive. [Read: How to survive and thrive alone during the pandemic]

#4 Try a Netflix party. If you want Netflix through Google Chrome, or if you can arrange it so you’re watching it through Chrome, you can have a Netflix party with your friends! This means that you’re watching the same show. There is also a chat window available so you can talk about what you’re watching and discuss the plot and maybe which actors are hot!

If you want to see each other while watching a film you should stick to Zoom, but commenting is still fun via a Netflix party!

#5 Play around on Houseparty. If you haven’t downloaded Houseparty yet, it’s time to give it a try! This isn’t just a video app for group chats, it’s more than that. You can play interactive games in real time. Basically having yourselves a real party. Bonus! You can involve several people at any one time.

Of course, if you just want to sit chatting on a split screen with several people, you can do that too. Houseparty’s capabilities are fantastic and really show you how to stay connected while social distancing and how easy it can be. [Read: 15 fun games to play when you’re bored and need something to do]

#6 Send a gift to someone you miss. Of course, you could go down the old fashioned route. Sometimes, this is the most heart-warming. Sure, you’re probably talking to your friends and family members on the phone, but why not arrange for a surprise gift to be delivered?

Order some flowers for a family member, or a gift from Amazon to be delivered to a friend. When it arrives, they’ll be so overcome with joy and nostalgia that it will certainly make their day. Is there any better way to stay connected than this?

Learning how to stay connected while social distancing is mostly down to technology. We’re blessed that we have so many options available to use. If this situation had happened 30 years ago, we would have been stuck with just a landline phone number to call, with no way to see our friends and family in person. [Read: Could dealing with a pandemic bring you closer to your partner?]

At least with a smartphone or laptop, you can video call and see their face. While there is certainly no substitute for giving someone you care about a real hug, being able to see them on a screen is certainly better than nothing. For now, that’s something we’ll have to be satisfied with.

[Read: 23 quarantine approved activities to have fun and stay safe!]

The coronavirus pandemic has kept us away from our nearest and dearest. But learning how to stay connected while social distancing makes the situation easier to deal with.

The post How to Stay Connected While Social Distancing & Avoid Loneliness is the original content of LovePanky - Your Guide to Better Love and Relationships.

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