4 Creative Ways to Stay Close from a Distance

The concept of social distancing is about physical distance, not emotional distance.

Staying in touch with friends, family, colleagues and neighbours feels like it's never been so important. But how? In the past few weeks, the new norms of social distancing, working from home, home-schooling and self-isolation have led to some imaginative ways of staying engaged, active, connected and informed.

Here are four ways we've come across (or taken part in!) to help you keep your connections strong from a distance.

Meet the Neighbours

Mister Rogers, the wise children's TV host, got it right when he said, "Real strength has to do with helping others." And many are stepping up.

Recently, we've seen neighborhood email chains used to offer help to those in need – such as setting up home deliveries for anyone who doesn't feels safe or comfortable heading to the store – and to request items in need, be it a missing ingredient, charge cord or a tool for a quick repair. (All placed safely outside for contactless exchange, of course.) The neighbourhood social-networking app Nextdoor is another way neighbours are reaching out to ask for and offer help. We've also seen emails put to good use for neighbourhood scavenger hunt themes (shamrocks, flowers, trees and more), which has been a creative way to get otherwise reluctant kids out for family walks.

Here's one of our favourite examples…

One colleague's neighbourhood placed balloons and signs in windows and on porches after an email prompt to celebrate a 12-year-old's birthday when his party was cancelled. "He loved it, and everyone nearby got to experience the cheeriness," she explained.

Catch Up Over Coffee…Virtually

Just as many of us are figuring out video conferencing for work, we're also learning how best to socialize from a distance. Whether setting up video chats for coffee with friends and family, Friday night drinks, a wine and cheese, book club or kids' play dates, there are tons of ways to make it work. We've been using apps like FaceTime, Facebook Messenger, Zoom, WhatsApp, Google Hangouts, Microsoft Teams and Skype. There are lots out there; find out what friends are using and try it out. Don't worry about any awkwardness; we're all in this together, after all. And yes, even those less tech-savvy members of your network can get on board. We read a lovely story recently about a granddaughter teaching her grandmother (through a closed window of a retirement home) how to use a smartphone so she can stay connected with her family.

Connect with Movie or Games Night

Miss heading out to the movies with friends or getting together for your weekly games night? No worries, there are apps for that. Two we plan to check out: Netflix Party and Houseparty. The first lets you watch movies at the same time as friends – and in sync! There's also a chat bar that lets you discuss what's happening in the movie. Houseparty, on the other hand, allows you to gather virtually with your friends and offers games like Heads Up (a word guessing game) and trivia.

Work it Out

Just because your gym may be closed, that's no excuse for not staying active and in touch. Fitness trackers can keep you connected (and accountable) to friends. Many even allow for friendly (or not-so-friendly) competitions with others. A few popular ones among our network include Strava, Fitbit, Garmin and Apple Watch. Not into tracking? You can also find lots of live-stream workout classes and yoga sessions that can make you feel like you're in the gym or studio. (Just try to ignore that basket of laundry a few feet away!)