In less than two months, we’ll be entering our second year of quarantine. At this point, I think it’s safe to say we’re all sick of it, but it cannot be stressed enough how vital it is that we continue to self-isolate, practice social distancing, and wear a mask. COVID cases are rising across the nation, and with new, more contagious strains being found in cities all around the world, it is in everyone’s best interest that we stay inside and away from each other.
Luckily, most of my friends are in different states right now, so I can easily avoid the temptation of making plans to see them; but that doesn’t fix the fact that I really miss my friends. Technology gives us many amazing ways to stay in touch, but honestly, I’m pretty bad at texting and so are most of my friends. We’ll swipe up on Snapchat and Instagram stories, but the communication doesn’t go much further than a comment or a brief exchange. The only two people I’ve stayed in regular contact with are my best friend and my partner.
Fall quarter was pretty rough for me. The isolation part of quarantine hits in waves, but it really hit last quarter. Going into this quarter, I decided to make it a priority to reach out to all my friends, not just my best friend and my partner. It’s not feasible to FaceTime every friend whenever I miss them because I wouldn’t have time to do anything else, so I did some research to find creative ways to stay in touch with them; hopefully something on this list will help you stay in contact with your loved ones, too.
- Schedule regular phone/FaceTime/Zoom calls, and stick to it as best you can
-
For about a year now, my partner and I have been FaceTiming every Tuesday night. A handful of times we’ve had to reschedule so one of us can study or keep plans with the people we live with, but we do our best to make sure we set a date later in the week to call rather than just saying, “Let’s reschedule.” My best friend and I have a bad habit of saying, “We should Facetime soon,” but never actually setting a date. Now, we’re trying out Monday nights around 5 PM, adjusting as necessary. We need more structure than my partner and I do for calling, so we’ve set a day and time that will work for our weekly schedules to make sure we’re doing more than texting each other.
- Have a virtual game night
-
If you google “virtual (insert game),” you’ll likely find the exact game you want to play or a very similar one. Writing this, I googled “virtual games to play with friends,” and found these two websites that offer lots of great ideas for games you can play with a group of friends or one-on-one. At this point we’re likely all familiar with Zoom, so kick it up a notch and challenge your friends to a virtual game night.
- Write to a penpal
-
If you have a friend who is horrible at texting, or maybe you’re the friend who’s horrible at texting, or maybe your schedules never align to call each other, writing letters may be an excellent solution! This is especially useful if you don’t text each other very often, because you can write to your friends and tell them about your day, how you’re feeling, what you’ve been doing to stay busy, the book you’re reading or show you’re watching, whatever. The world is your oyster! And there is more than one way of writing to a penpal: you can write to one friend or a group of friends. One person can start the letter chain and send it to multiple people before it makes its way back to you. If you’re doing this, you might consider getting a journal so everything is written in one spot. Whether you’re writing to a group of friends or just one, you can add stickers, pictures, and other little goodies.
- Start a book club
-
Again, this can be done with one friend or a group of friends. Agree on what book you want to read, and discuss as you make your way through the book. When you’re both done, schedule a call to further discuss—just be careful not to spoil the book for each other if one person finishes first! This is also a great chance to expose your friend to a genre they may not typically read, and vice versa. My best friend reads almost exclusively non-fiction while I read mostly fiction. We don’t always love the books the other recommends, but we usually give them a shot if nothing else (and we’ve both discovered some really great books by stepping out of our comfort zones). If you plan to start a book club, support local and independent bookstores if you have the means. Or you can use your public library as an amazing resource to get access to free physical books and audiobooks.
- Start a show with your friend(s)
-
Again, if one person has more time to watch than the other, make sure you don’t spoil anything for each other. This is basically the same as a book club, but with a TV rather than a book.
- Watch a movie with your loved one
-
Previously known as Netflix Party, Teleparty allows you to mirror-stream anything on Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, or HBO. My friends and I tend to talk through movies, so texting each other as we watch something just doesn’t hit the same. But using Teleparty to pretend to watch while we talk over the movie? Perfect for us.
- Go on a walk with your friend
-
If you don’t live with a friend, plan to go on a walk at the same time and call each other. Or plan to go on a walk with someone you share your living space with. You can go on a hike or just walk around your neighborhood. Either way, don’t forget your mask!
- Make time to share a meal with someone
-
If you share your living space with someone, try to prioritize eating your meals with them. As students, it can be easy to continue to work as we eat a meal, but try to make it part of your everyday schedule to leave your room/workspace and get some in-person contact. Your eyes will thank you for taking a break from screens and your heart and head will thank you for socializing. Or, if you want to plan a date with a pal you don’t live with, plan to eat dinner together over a video call. You can even go so far as to cook with each other as you start the call.
- Start a group chat where you share funny videos, positive articles, your favorite podcasts, a new song you heard, etc.
-
There’s a lot of bad going on in the world, so try to keep it a positive space. That way, whenever you’re having a bad day, you can go through that group chat and smile.
- Get to know your neighbors
-
I think this will be easier if you live in a house, but it’s probably doable in an apartment or dorm. Maybe you can’t have them over for dinner, but you can sit in your front yards and talk to each other. Remember to social distance (at least six feet apart, but the more the better) and wear a mask if you need to get close to each other for any reason (like if you live in an apartment and are passing each other in the hall). Befriending your neighbor will give you a new friend to spend time with when the pandemic is over.
Whether or not you decide to use any of the ideas on this list, make sure you’re taking the time to connect with your friends. Connecting with others has tons of health benefits, like increasing happiness, building self-esteem, reinforcing a sense of identity and a valued self, decreasing stress levels, and improving your overall health. Our mental and physical health are deeply intertwined, and reports show that feelings of loneliness, depression, and anxiety are on the rise as the pandemic continues. Prioritizing connection with your friends and loved ones will benefit all parties involved. As we prepare to enter the second year of quarantine, we could all use an extra boost.