Ways to maintain social contact while social distancing

Social distancing means we have to be more creative about how we socialize with our friends and family, but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible. With modern technology, there are plenty of ways you can stay in contact with loved ones and maintain social contact with the outside while staying safely indoors.

1. Use video chat or a phone call

The most simple of these options is to pick up the phone, sharing either your audio or your audio and video with your loved ones via apps such as Facetime, Skype or Zoom. Just seeing a human face, even if not in person, can be enough to make you feel socially connected to the world again.

2. Work on a creative project with others

Usually, we socialize through activities. There’s no reason that social distancing has to be any different. Working (remotely) on a creative project with friends, family or even likeminded strangers you connect with over the internet is the perfect way to stay socially connected, especially as collaboration is closely related to making us feel connected to others.

So why not ask a friend if they want to write one line of a short story each a day, or write a song together on video chat where you play the guitar while they sing. The possibilities are endless and you’ll have the added bonus of having a unique piece of art at the end of this all which will be a living diary to your struggles (or joy) in isolation.

3. Go to a (virtual) social event with others

The amount of online social events popping up on social media right now is astounding. Whether you pre-plan to attend virtually with a friend or tune in solo, you can enjoy concerts from home as well as video chat parties run by your regular NYC nightlife hangouts and much, much more. The app Houseparty takes video chat to the next level allows you to play games and interact with your friends in new and exciting ways, whilst online bar* has cropped up as a free space to grab a drink and meet new or existing friends in a virtual setting.

4. Exercise with others

Whether you normally engage in exercise classes or just want to try something new, video chat exercise classes are a great way to get your daily dose of social contact with others over the internet. Many local NYC fitness trainers are currently advertising live online exercise classes at varying times (check their Instagram and Facebook pages; we love the daily 8am group workout by Blink Fitness), or if you fancy a smaller group you can coordinate to watch the same fitness video with a group of friends and simply turn on your video chat to feel as though you’re exercising together, despite being physically apart.

5. Try co-working

Many people won’t have much free time during this period of social distancing, as working from home brings its own challenges. But that doesn’t mean you have to miss out on social contact. Arrange a time to co-work with members of your household where you sit together in near-silence or have allotted times in which you can speak and where you can work; this will ensure that you get your work done while still getting social contact.

The same activity can be replicated on video chat; pre-arrange to co-work with a friend and video chat them, putting the camera to one side while you both work and you’ll see how much more social you feel when you trick your brain into thinking someone else is in the room. This can even help productivity, as miniature breaks to socialize while still getting on with work will help you maintain focus and positivity in these tricky times.