Connecting in a Pandemic and Escaping “Zoom Fatigue”
Staying inside and laughing at stay-at-home memes on Zoom Memes for Self Quaranteens is the new normal. Admit it, you are feeling the zoom fatigue as you hear or say “You’re on mute.” way too many times than you need. As you are scrolling through your photo albums and your Snapchat/Instagram memories on your phone, you feel more nostalgic than ever and miss the past when you get to go out to connect with friends, family, and your community. Well, don’t let the misled wording of “social” distancing get you stuck in just the past. Remind yourself that it is actually “physical” distancing that is an important strategy to slow the spread of COVID-19, and we should not let that prevent us from making new memories in the present as you learn new ways to stay socially connected during this pandemic. There’s no better time to be resourceful and creative, and here are some ideas to get you started.
Make your video-calls less dreadful and draining
Remember that video calls don’t always have to be just a sit-down, face to face, and full-on conversation. You can make virtual hangouts more fun by adding your own twist to them. You can call a friend while you two virtually cook dinner together. Host either a virtual paint and wine night or book club session. Play interactive games with video chat apps like House Party to make your call experience more engaging. Forget the idea that you have to talk constantly to count it as a successful virtual hangout. It’s more about the idea of feeling accompanied and connected in the midst of stay-at-home restrictions.
Join online social community groups
Popular social community platforms like Discord, Reddit, or Facebook community groups are great to join if you are looking to anonymously socialize with new people or find new topics to learn and discuss. There are so many community groups out there, you’ll find at least one that’ll cater to your specific interests.
Host a virtual game night
Yes, there are many online games out there that you can play with your friends. But see below for popular free games that most people are familiar with. Enjoy a virtual game night where everyone can have fun with no steep learning curves!
Among Us (free on mobile)
Kahoot Trivia
Check out Tabletopia and Board Game Arena for more online board games.
Look out for free virtual events or activities
One good thing that came out of this pandemic is that businesses and communities have become more generous and creative. Keep an eye out for cool live stream concerts, inspirational conferences, and creative workshops that offer free attendance or specially designed for online experiences. Here’s where you can start your search:
Check out live stream concerts on SongKick
Check out popular online events/experiences on Eventbrite or Airbnb Experiences
Adobe Max Conference - this creative conference usually costs $200+ to attend. But Adobe has made the 2020 conference free on-demand so anyone can watch the 350+ sessions for creative inspiration. Look out for upcoming Adobe virtual events like the Adobe Summit - Digital Experience Conference on April 27-28, 2021.
Check out Bizzabo’s 2021 virtual events calendar list here.
Volunteer with nonprofit organizations
Volunteering is an amazing way to connect with your greater community and expand your perspectives on different types of social causes. Here are a few places to look for virtual volunteering opportunities:
VolunteerMatch.org - both virtual/local volunteer opportunities
Taproot Foundation - skill-based volunteer opportunities
Catchafire - skill-based volunteer opportunities
Join a fitness class
Attend a fitness class with an accountability buddy or group. This is a great way to spend time with your buddy or group while improving your physical wellness. Here are a few online fitness classes to check out:
Alo Moves: Unlimited yoga, fitness, and meditation classes
Corepower Yoga: Free classes or unlimited yoga, sculpt, and meditation classes
Obe Fitness: 22 live classes daily or 5,482 on-demand classes with different levels and fitness categories
Connect through mentor-mentee relationships
On the bright side of this pandemic, people have become more compassionate and understanding for others who are struggling at this difficult time. Whether you want to give back as a mentor or connect as a mentee, now is a great time to build mentor-mentee relationships as many students or professionals are willing to lend a hand to people who are struggling in current online academics or job markets. Here are some ways to find a mentor:
Reach out to someone you know or a friend who has a connection
Find school organizations that offer mentor-mentee programs
Reach out to professionals on LinkedIn
If you are a creative, ADPList is a great platform to find design mentors or mentees
Read more about building your networking skills here.
Reach out to one of us on the Menti team!
Pursue a project with friends
Have a passion that you’ve been wanting to pursue? Now is the time to do it and you can reach out to your friends for help or collaboration. Form a team to build something new or join a hackathon. This is exactly how Menti came to be a highlight for our team in the midst of the pandemic!
post from Zoom Memes for Self Quaranteens
With these unique ways to be social in a pandemic, try to shift your mentality from thinking, “This year is going to be uneventful and a waste,” to “This year is going to be filled with new memories and experiences with my close ones in ways that are unique to this time.” Don’t get me wrong, it’s important for us to keep practicing physical distance to keep the people around us and ourselves safe. Yet social interaction is a basic human need. When we stop trying to socialize or connect with people because it’s “too inconvenient right now,” we would be at risk of increasing social rejection, growing individualism and anxiety, losing a sense of community, and making it harder for ourselves to emotionally handle these uncertain times. So it’s critical for us to distinguish between physical and social proximity because we need to take care of our social wellness now more than ever. Try to get out of the fatigue cycle by creating opportunities to check in with your friends and family while opening up yourself to be supported as well.
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