Four Ways to Have Fun During Social Distancing
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Social distancing to minimize the spread of – and your exposure to – coronavirus might sound agonizing, but there are plenty of ways to have fun and make your self-isolation fly by. The internet gives you access to not just tons of binge-watching platforms, but technologies for seeing your friends without being physically next to them (which is the whole point of social distancing). And if you’re wondering how people managed to pass the time before they had the internet to entertain them, there are plenty of completely non-digital ways to occupy your time, too. Here are four easy ways to have fun during social distancing.
1. Video call your friends
It’s one thing to call your friends on the phone, but it’s another to see their faces. Make up for the loss of interaction that can accompany social distancing by swapping phone calls for video chats – it’ll almost be like you and the person you’re speaking with are actually in the same room! You don’t have to limit yourself to just one person – many video call apps allow for group chats, too. Bonus points if your group video chat involves some sort of game you all can play, speaking of which…
2. Play board games (or other group games)
It’s tough to dispute the notion that board games have made a strong resurgence in recent years. At first, the advent of the internet arguably shifted people’s interests away from board games and toward video games, phone games, and other digital entertainment sources, but today, you can easily find board game bars in many major American cities.
Of course, you currently shouldn’t go to bars due to social distancing, but if you have board games at home, this is a great time to play them. Board games are especially fun to play with roommates or during a group video chat. This approach can be especially fun with streamable multiplayer games to which you can connect via your smartphone’s internet browser.
3. Watch tons of TV and movies
Often, people binge-watch TV and movies with at least some level of guilt. When top medical experts are advising even young, healthy people to maintain a distance of six feet from other people as often as possible, you have no reason to feel bad about spending a day doing little other than plowing through your streaming service of choice’s offerings. Find some ideas for viewing options here.
4. Get plenty of exercise (at home)
Although exercising is key to maintaining a strong immune system that can reduce your chances of suffering from harsher coronavirus symptoms if you’re exposed, social distancing is close to impossible in gyms, making them hotbeds for spreading COVID-19. That’s why you should exercise at home instead.
You can find plenty of quick but intense bodyweight workouts, including some options within the ever-trendy HIIT category, with just a quick internet search. Additionally, fitness and public health experts endorse jogging or running outside, though they recommend scaling back the intensity of outdoor runs. Exercise that’s too intense can backfire because, although exercise is key for a robust immune system, your immune system is significantly weaker during the period immediately after exercise. When it comes to COVID-19, you’re better safe than sorry.
How do you plan to pass the time while social distancing? Share your plans in the comments!