Distanced not disconnected: six things to do on Zoom to stay close to your loved ones

By bianca.barros on May 29, 2020 • ( 494 Comments )

Social distancing policies have been implemented practically worldwide. Depending on where in the world you are sitting and reading this post, those policies may be still strictly enforced or may be loosening up. Most of us are still working, studying, or interning from home and finding ourselves physically distant from our loved ones. This blog post will propose ideas to use Zoom (or another video conference platform of your choice) to keep emotionally connected with the people you care for.

In this blog post series, I want to give you three projects to make the disruptions in your daily life smoother. I am doing all of these three things myself; as a disclaimer: as much as these projects make my quarantine better, quarantine is still quite difficult. It’s essential to embrace the emotional hardship of these times and to remember that your value is not based on your productivity. This post covers the second project of the series:

Do things other than talking while on Zoom:

There is plenty of opportunities to be creative. It’s crucial to stay close to your loved ones, whether they are at home with you or miles apart. Video conferencing, Zoom and FaceTime help a lot, but don’t limit yourself to just talking; here’s a list of other things you can do together while on Zoom/FaceTime:

Watch a Netflix show simultaneously:

There’s a Google Chrome extension called Netflix Party that synchronizes video playback and adds group chat to your favorite Netflix shows.

Play a card game:

My favorite one is We Are Not Really Strangers, a card game built to strengthen emotional connections. The set includes three carefully crafted levels of questions that allow you to deepen your existing relationships and create new ones. There’s also a quarantine edition available for free on pdf.

Write a joint journal:

There’s an app for that called Longwalks with daily prompts to stay connected. We Are Not Really Strangers also designed an Introspective Journal. “The intention of this journal is to check in with yourself so you can better show up for others. 100% of proceeds from this journal will be donated to the JED Foundation–a nonprofit that helps improve the inner lives of teens and young adults.”

Cook and bake together:

Challenge yourselves with an original recipe and allow humor to the cooking failures together. Here’s a NY Times article with easy recipes for inspiration. Another great way to dive into a cooking adventure is by booking an online class with cooking experts on Airbnb Experiences.

Exercise:

Take a walk outside at the same time or do a home workout together. The app FitOn can provide some extra creativity for your training.

Create a post-pandemic bucket list together:

The first step to make the items in a bucket list happen is to write it down. A great way to get started is to establish different categories, such as travel, education, career, and relationships, then include about three items for each list. I developed a template to boost your ideas: