Making the Most Out of Quarantine

It’s been around 11 months that we’ve been dealing with the pandemic. We spend our days scrolling through social media, making whipped coffee to baked feta pasta, random obscure videos, and honestly anything on TikTok. It feels like media are our main connection to how others are surviving the pandemic and quarantine. There are so many new movies and shows released on Netflix, but at this point, it feels like I watched everything the platform has to offer. Days are becoming repetitive and boring without seeing loved ones.

Ever since the first day of the pandemic, we had to stay home; we have been told to stay inside, to social distance, to isolate ourselves. It’s an odd thing when you realize you can’t usually go over to a friend's house or give them a hug. It’s harder now, and it’s taking a toll mentally. If you’re struggling with isolation and not being able to see your friends, family, significant others, it’s going to be ok. There are things we can still do to keep that connection between our loved ones and us.

Teleparty (Netflixparty)

Teleparty, or Netflixparty as it used to be called, is a Google Chrome extension that allows multiple people to watch movies and TV shows on different devices. This way, you can have a lovely virtual movie night even if no one is in the same room as you. It synchronizes video playback and adds a group chat to your favourite streaming sites such as Netflix, HBO and Disney+.

Image is courtesy of Netflix Party.

Make a group Tiktok account

It would be excitingly chaotic if you and your besties made a TikTok account and posted whatever you want! It’s your content! Have fun with it, and that way, you all are somewhat caught up on what each friend is up to. React to other vids, try out different dance challenges, dress up, and interact with others. It’s a funny and straightforward way to connect.

Image is courtesy of Unsplash.

Send physical letters

If you’re feeling a bit crafty, you and a loved one could send letters back and forth in Elizabethan era style. Creating a handwritten note on beautiful parchment and finishing it off with a wax stamp is unexpected but wonderfully amusing. If this is too much work, try something through email or Google Docs. Be creative and have fun.

Image is courtesy of The Paper Seahorse.

You could also send greeting cards to different people. The twist is that you choose greeting cards that do not correlate to the individual. Send a friend a Mother’s Day card and write something equally as random, maybe explaining a math problem or what you had for breakfast.

Random Google Slides presentation night

Have each person in the group come up with any topic they want, which could be incredibly specific or incredibly vague. No one tells anyone their topic for their presentation. Then through Google Meet or Zoom, everyone presents their slides. It’s a night for laughter and bonding. Here are a few ideas that you can use:

• Solving a conspiracy theory that you are obsessed with

• Friends/ family members as different TV show/movie characters

• List of celebrity crushes and why

• Why each friend is an accurate representation of their zodiac sign

• What decade or past job each friend would have lived or worked as in a past life

I have seen some oddly specific ones, so be creative and have fun designing the slides and sharing many MANY laughs with your loved ones.

Image is courtesy of Slate.

As you can tell, while our current circumstances are not ideal, there are plenty of ways to keep yourself occupied while doing your part and staying home.

Article Author: Alizeh Qaiser

Article Editors: Stephanie Sahadeo, Valerie Shirobokov