Creative ways to stay in touch with friends during social distancing

The weekend is here and this is the time when many people would typically make hangout plans with friends. Unfortunately, we’ve all been advised to observe social distancing in order to reduce the spread of Coronavirus.

In a time and age of so much technological advancement, there are many creative ways to keep in touch with friends so that you don’t feel like you missed a thing once the self-isolation ends. Here are a few ideas on fun things to do with friends while social distancing.

Since you can’t physically meet up to watch a movie, why not watch the same movie over video call? There are so many video chat applications that you can use such as Skype, Facetime, WhatsApp, Snapchat and Instagram.

All you need to do is set up your streaming station on a comfy bed or couch, with a few snacks. Make sure you and your friend(s) press play on the movie at the same time so that you can see and hear each other’s reactions as you watch the movie. 

Pick a new recipe that you’d like to try and tell a friend to help you cook it over a video call. Simply take your phone, tablet or laptop with you into your kitchen and cook the same meal at the same time.

This way, you can call each other out on whether any measurements are wrong or when something is about to burn. Afterwards, sit down and eat the same meal at the same time so that you and your friend(s) give each other feedback on how it turned out.

Why not start a mini book club with a couple of friends? Reading aloud to each other over a group phone conversation or video group chat is a fun way to keep up with your reading. You can purchase E-books online or take turns in reading to each other any interesting books you have on hand.

Doing so will take your mind off any anxiety or fear that you may have concerning the current COVID-19 global pandemic. It's okay to get lost in a good book every now and then, and its even more fun when your friends are involved.

We’re all eagerly waiting for social distancing to finally come to an end! Use this time to save your money and plan for your first meetup once you’re all out of self-isolation/self-quarantine. Come up with a budget and ideas of activities that you will do.

This could be a simple brunch date or a trip out of town. Get planning right now so that, when the time comes, you’re mentally and financially prepared to get back to your regular life. This will also help you avoid doing irrational things and spending large sums of money on all the places and things you’ve been missing all at once without a financial plan beforehand.