Three Things Thursday No. 14: Staying Connected
Howdy!
Welcome to the 14th edition of Three Things Thursday, wherein we talk about video chats and community.
How are you holding up? Do you have a stay-at-home order yet? We have one now in Oregon as of Monday so it’s essential activities only outside of the house. Since I am an introvert with anxiety, having my schedule cleared for me isn’t all bad. As Jamie from Mythbusters likes to say, “I like in here. It’s private.”
But even I need to connect with friends and loved ones from time to time and my kids are missing their friends. So we’ve been playing around with various ways to stay connected and here’s some of the things we’ve tried so far:
Thing 1: Videoconferencing
Video calls are da bomb. I’m serious. Your brain really doesn’t differentiate that much between a video call and a live-and-in-person face-to-face conversation, so it’s really fulfilling to be on a video chat with someone you care about. I personally am a fan of Zoom—I use it for my business and I like the way it functions. But you can use anything: FaceTime and Google Hangouts are both options. Facebook Messenger also has a video call option. A friend of mine just told me that there’s a Messenger Kids option where your kids can have a messenger set up through your account without having a Facebook account of their own which lets them connect to their friends, too. My daughter uses videoconferencing to have face-to-face chat going on during virtual playdates with friends.
If you’re feeling nervous about getting on video because of how you look or how your house looks or anything like that, this is the time to dump those fears and just connect anyway. The people who love you don’t care if you are in your PJs and have bed head, and they definitely do not care what your house looks like. They just want to see your face and connect with you.
If you’re feeling nervous about getting on video because of how you look or how your house looks or anything like that, this is the time to dump those fears and just connect anyway. The people who love you don’t care if you are in your PJs and have bed head, and they definitely do not care what your house looks like. They just want to see your face and connect with you.
Thing 2: Community Projects & Service
There’s nothing like contributing to a community project to help you feel like you are part of something. I know that in many places there is a call for re-usable fabric facemasks to support local medical centers who do not have enough paper masks. There are groups and patterns and things online and people are sharing their resources and making a difference. I just heard today how grateful our local hospital was for the masks they’ve been donated so far.
There are also other projects being started where people are putting up signs in their windows for other people to see. People in a community are choosing one symbol – a rainbow, a sunshine, a heart, a star – whatever one symbol they decide upon, and then everyone puts a version of that up in their front window. When you do have to leave your house for necessities, you find this trail of connectedness in the front windows of homes and businesses everywhere you go. It’s beautiful.
Thing 3: Virtual Community
Of course, this is always there, but now it’s a lifeline for many people. You know what I’m talking about – those treasured groups that congregate online that you connect and engage with. This might be a Facebook Group, a special set of Instagram friends, an online class or a group coaching session. It takes many forms. But it’s yet another way to reach out and engage with people while still staying home.
My only caution here would be to make sure you prioritize your time with face-to-face interactions and just fill in the gaps with the other kinds of online connections. Your brain needs that live back-and-forth with a human being (even a video one) to stay mentally healthy.
That’s it!
This week it is all about staying connected despite staying at home. Even though you are going to be seeing people virtually rather than in person, it’s still an opportunity to be intentional about connecting with others and being a part of your community.
What’s your favorite way to stay connected when staying home? Comment below and let me know, or come find me on Facebook or Instagram! I’ll share any extra tips in an upcoming newsletter!
Much love,
P.S. What are you reading? Right now I am reading Dare to Sketch: A Guide to Drawing on the Go by Felix Scheinberger. I may or may not have shared that I am starting down the artistic path. Despite being 50 and unable to draw, I have dreams of being able to design quilt fabrics someday, so I’m trying to work up the nerve to do a daily sketch practice and this book caught my eye. It feels so nice in the hand, like you’re reading the authors very own sketchbook, and it is alleviating many of my fears. When I’m finished I’ll report back but so far I love it.
