The Mabnol

Even with so much technology and so many different apps and programs designed to help us connect with other people, it’s still surprisingly easy to lose touch with your friends. Fortunately, there are things you can do to stay connected and involved in each other’s lives. To help you do it, we’ve put together a handy list of ways you can keep in touch with your friends.

[Edit]Steps

[Edit]Host a streaming party to hang out virtually.

Spend some time watching a movie or a show together. Choose a movie or show that you and your friends will enjoy and schedule a time for everyone to start watching it. You can chat during the movie or use the “Netflix Party” extension on Google Chrome to watch together and see each other’s faces on a video call at the same time.^[1]
- Kast is another app you can use to share your screen and watch a movie or show together with your friends.

[Edit]Play online games together.

Catch up while you have fun playing together. There are a bunch of different gaming apps you can use or you can use a classic console such as a PlayStation or an Xbox if all of your friends have the same console. Many games also have chat features so you can talk to each other while you play. You can catch up on each other’s lives, celebrate a win in the game, or poke fun at each other when a player makes a mistake.^[2]
- You can all agree on a time to hop on the game and play together.
- There are a ton of different games from first-person shooters to turn-based puzzle games so you can find one that everyone will enjoy or take turns picking the game.

[Edit]Share a virtual dinner together.

Cook the same meal and get together over a video call. Have some fun choosing a recipe that everyone can enjoy (and cook) and set a time for you and your friends to get together over a video call. Cook your meal and enjoy it with your friends! Talk about what you enjoy and your cooking experience while you also catch up and spend time together.^[3]

[Edit]Enjoy a virtual happy hour together.

Choose a cocktail or beverage and share it over a video call. You can choose a fancy cocktail and share the recipe with your friends or just grab a bottle of wine or some beer out of your fridge. Organize a time you can all get together and catch up while you enjoy your drinks!^[4]
- You don’t have to have an alcoholic drink. Just making time to get together and catch up will be fun.

[Edit]Challenge each other to share an experience together.

Start a fitness or wellness challenge or try to raise money for a cause. Find something that’s in line with you and your friends’ goals, such as getting in shape or spending more time reading. Check-in with each other to stay motivated and on track towards your goal. It’s a fun way to stay in touch and it’s a shared experience you can have with your friends, even if you live miles apart from each other.^[5]
- For instance, you can start a challenge to walk for 30 minutes a day or do 20 push-ups a day. Whenever you do your part, you can text or message your friends about it.
- A challenge also doesn’t require live conversation and your friends can message and do the challenge on their own schedule.

[Edit]Start a virtual book club.

Use a video call to talk about the book and catch up. Choose a book for everyone to read and set up a weekly or monthly virtual “meeting” to discuss what you’re reading. You can use an app like Skype, Zoom, or Google Hangouts to connect. Have fun talking about the book, catching up on each other’s lives, and maybe having a glass of wine or two together!^[6]

[Edit]Send memes, articles, or videos to your friends.

Share something you think they’ll enjoy to stay connected. If you come across a really funny meme or an interesting article, send it to your friends! Chances are they’ll laugh or find it interesting as well. Plus, you don’t really need a reason to send a photo or a video. Just text or message it to them whenever you come across something you think they’ll like to let them know you’re thinking of them.^[7]
- For instance, if you and your friends are big fans of The Office, you can send a meme from the show that you think they’ll find funny.
- You can also send news articles you think they’ll enjoy.

[Edit]Connect through social media.

Keep up with each other’s lives and interact with your friends. Add and follow your friends on any social media platforms you share such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or LinkedIn. Check in on their profiles to see what’s going on with them and comment on posts to say hello. You can also tag them in posts and send them direct messages to talk to them.^[8]
- Social media is a great way to see your friend’s family and the things they’re into. For instance, you can comment on pictures of their children or congratulate them if they get a job promotion.

[Edit]Mail a letter or postcard for fun.

Sending someone snail mail is a creative and lovely gesture. Go old school with it and write out a letter by hand (or type and print it out). Stick it in an envelope and mail it to your friend as a nice surprise. You can also pick up a fun postcard and send that to them to brighten up their day.^[9]
- If you’re traveling somewhere, you can pick up a cute (or cheesy) postcard that features local landmarks and send that as a fun note.

[Edit]Get together to catch up in person.

Meet up somewhere new or visit a familiar place to spend time together. If you’re from the same town, try visiting and getting together with your friends. You can also plan to meet up somewhere fun like a new city or the beach and hang out together. Try to meet up at least once a year if you can.^[10]
- For instance, you could both rent rooms in a hotel near a beach to have a vacation or make plans to meet up in New York City for a fun trip.

[Edit]Set a standing date to contact each other.

Find a time that works for everyone. It may seem simple enough to just call your friends or send them a message to stay in touch, but life can get crazy sometimes. It’s easy to lose track of time and suddenly you haven’t spoken to your friends in weeks or even months! Ask your friends when they’re most available to talk or send messages and make a commitment to get in touch with each other then.^[11]
- For instance, if you’re free on Wednesday nights and your friend has a break from work at the same time, you can set it as a standing date to contact each other.
- Things can come up last minute, so it’s also important to be flexible. Just try to let your friend know if you can’t call or talk to them if you’re busy when you’re supposed to connect.

[Edit]Don’t feel bad if you fail to follow-through.

Just apologize and get back on track with your friends. It’s totally normal for things to fall through or for life to get in the way of your plans. Don’t stress out about it. Just tell your friends that you’re sorry and you’ll try to stay in touch. They’ll understand—they may even have to cancel plans at the last minute, too!^[12]
- Just be honest and your friends will understand.

[Edit]Tips

Don’t feel offended if your friends aren’t super available. They may just be busy and you can try catching up with them some other time.

[Edit]References

[Edit]Quick Summary

[_note-1] ttps://www.wired.com/story/how-to-stay-social-while-staying-at-home/

[_note-2] ttps://www.studentworldonline.com/article/10-fun-ways-to-stay-connected-with-friends-amp-family/308/

[_note-3] ttps://www.theactivetimes.com/featured/coronavirus-social-distancing-family/slide-4

[_note-4] ttps://www.theactivetimes.com/featured/coronavirus-social-distancing-family/slide-5

[_note-5] ttps://www.studentworldonline.com/article/10-fun-ways-to-stay-connected-with-friends-amp-family/308/

[_note-6] ttps://www.buzzfeed.com/maitlandquitmeyer/fun-ways-to-keep-in-touch-with-your-bff

[_note-7] ttps://blog.fireflies.ai/top-5-habits-of-friends-that-are-good-at-staying-in-touch-52e8166a60c9

[_note-8] ttps://www.pearson.com/ped-blogs/pearsonstudents/2020/04/10-ways-im-using-technology-stay-touch-friends-quarantine.html

[_note-9] ttps://www.wired.com/story/how-to-stay-social-while-staying-at-home/

[_note-10] ttps://www.themuse.com/advice/the-secret-to-staying-in-touch-with-longdistance-friends

[_note-11] ttps://www.themuse.com/advice/the-secret-to-staying-in-touch-with-longdistance-friends

[_note-12] ttps://www.nbcnews.com/better/lifestyle/how-stay-touch-your-long-distance-friends-ncna995951

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