"Social" distancing is out, PHYSICAL distancing is in

April 6, 2020 - Gabby Wahla

We have no doubt you've heard the term "social distancing." If you haven't, it is the term going around as we distance ourselves from other to prevent the spread of COVID-19. However, for many of us in isolation in our homes, we may be experiencing loneliness, sadness, and some anxiety. Therefore, we in WSS want to encourage you to stop "social" distancing, and rather practice PHYSICAL distancing. By this we do not mean you should be interacting with people in person. Rather, please continue to socialize, just do it virtually. It is a civic and personal responsibility to your health and the health of others to be physical distancing during this time, but there is not need to socially distance yourself and increase those feelings of loneliness. Reach out to your friends/coworkers/classmates/family! Chat with people on social media! Whatever you want to do, try to find a way to do it virtually. Here are some things the staff of WSS have been doing to stay connected socially to one another and to their networks:

  • Netflix Party. If you don't have this Chrome extension, we suggest you give it a whirl! Netflix Party creates a link between you and your friends to watch the same show in real time. It also gives you the opportunity to chat on the side with the people watching with you.
  • Zoom painting. We all know and love (tolerate) Zoom. Try using it outside of the classroom and host a painting night! Find a simple YouTube link of someone instructing how to paint something, share your screen, and have everyone follow along.
  • Have a chef of the day video series. Members of MSU Panhellenic fueled this idea for us! They had one member video call everyone and do a step-by-step cooking demo, and everyone else followed along in their respective homes.
  • Play games on your phone. The staff of WSS has had a game of Scrabble GO going on for the past couple weeks... so far Gabby is winning!
  • Play a board game. Video call the other players, and play a game that they don't need to physically interact with. Some ideas: Trivial Pursuit, Scattegories, Charades, Pictionary (use Zoom's Whiteboard function)
  • Book club. Have everyone read the same book (physical book, Kindle, audio book, etc.) and discuss! We love this idea, but maybe for after the semester is over!
  • Jackbox Games. This game pack can be bought through Steam, Xbox, Play Station, and more!
  • Trivia Night via Kahoot. Host a trivia night for your friends! All you have to do is create the questions on Kahoot, then invite them with the code. To see an example, COGS is hosting a Kahoot Trivia Night this week (see below).
  • Exercise. Go for a walk and talk on the phone, do some Zoom yoga, have a Zoom dance party, or do a workout video from MSU RecSPORTS! Don't lay in bed all day or sit on the couch, let your body move.

Have some more ideas of fun things you've done socially and virtually? We would LOVE to hear about it! Send your ideas to us via email or social media.