How to stay connected from home

Let’s be real. Not seeing as much of friends in person might be tough. But hear me out: Even if we have to stay at home, that doesn’t mean we can’t stay connected.

TFW you’re trying to hug your friends through the screen during lockdown

For the next little while, life is going to be really different and that will affect everyone in different ways. Staying connected is a super important way that we can help each other to get through this. It’s actually pretty cool that while we might be physically isolated, we’ve never been in a better position to stay in touch. 

But, where to start? Here are some ideas and tips to stay in contact with friends while you’re at home.

Hot tip 1: Find out what connecting looks like for you

While everyone is at home and online, it might seem like you’re getting a constant stream of notifications so keep in mind your ‘social batteries.’ If you feel yourself getting overwhelmed, let friends know how and when works best for you. Some people love to be in touch regularly, others only want to chat when they’re in the mood. If you don’t already know, ask your friends what’s going to be helpful for them at the moment. This might be scheduling specific times when you reply to messages or video chat.

Hot tip 2: Video calls are our best friend

Sometimes it’s nice to have someone on the line just doing their own thing while you do yours, sometimes it’s also good to have more meaningful chats. I recommend:

• Making a sandwich or eat dinner together over video
• Video con with your friends and have a silent party, play online board games, watch a movie together, or make some art together. This link is great for watching Netflix with your mates.
• Livestream your friends uplifting content – your pet being adorable or the masterpiece you’re cooking. This is guaranteed to brighten someone’s day. Even your glorious mistakes and random happenings throughout your day make it even more hilarious.
  

Hot tip 3: Start a project together

Ever wanted to make a zine? Start a DIY Instagram? Learn every TikTok dance? Now’s the time to shine. You can do all of these things online with friends – working towards a common goal gives purpose and structure during this time at home and a new way to hang out with your friends. I love THIS TUTORIAL on how to create a zine.

Hot tip 4: Go old school

Receiving mail from someone is the best feeling. It’s so easy to ping someone a message online, but taking the time to write and post a letter will mean so much to a mate. You could share a list of places you want to visit, create a random find-a-word, share a drawing or share how you’re processing everything going on at the moment. I guarantee that it would mean so much for them to receive some love in the post. 

Hot tip 5: Feel the feels, and let each other know

Be honest with how you’re feeling at the state of the world right now. Acknowledge that this is a huge change to day-to-day life and reach out to a friend or adult you trust if you want to chat about it. Or if you are able, be there for someone else when they reach out or don’t know how to find support.

While this time at home will be challenging in many ways, it does create an opportunity to discover common interests with the people around you and find strong online communities that might even spill into offline communities. We all collectively have the power to help each other during this time – maybe you have your own creative approach that could really help someone else!

Just remember, while physical distancing is super important right now, we can still be socially connected. This isn’t going to last forever, we we can help each other to get through this. 

This is going to be me once we’re allowed to leave the house…
And allowed to hug our friends again.