Feel Good

5 ways to socialise at home as lockdown continues…

While we can keep ourselves busy with a plethora of hobbies, actually having some social time with friends and family is crucial to our mental wellbeing, especially as lockdown restrictions continue.

Written by High Life North

Published 22.05.2020

By Hannah Bullimore

We’ve pulled together our five favourite ways to socialise from home, because commenting on Instagram posts just isn’t quite making us feel like we’re still in touch with our friends.

Its conversation that many of us are missing most, as well as trips to do something together like going to the pub or the cinema. And while there is no getting away from the fact it’s going to be a while before we get back to normal, we can catch moments of normalcy from the safety of our own homes.

Online Pub Quiz

We all miss the pub. In fact, we can’t dwell too long on the thought of all the bars and pubs along the quayside currently closed up. Luckily, there are a few online pubs popping up offering online quizzes and general camaraderie.

Camden Bre.WWW.ery Bar is offering the online pub experience, with regular pub quizzes and an online shop to supply you with beer.

Online New Year’s Eve Party

2020 has not exactly gone to plan and the excitement of New Year’s Eve feels like a long time ago. March seemed to last a year of its own! Why not take this opportunity to do something wacky and have an online New Year’s Eve party?

It’s simple, invite all your favourite people to Zoom one evening, get dressed up, do your hair and makeup because it’s been too long since we had a good excuse to get out the rollers and the Better Than Sex mascara. Everyone can put on their favourite tunes, have a few nibbles and chat. Better yet, put on a quiz for everyone and finish up with a bit of Just Dance on YouTube, taking it in turns to have a go and perhaps even scoring your friends’ efforts.

Sounds like fun, right? We all need a chance to let loose and pretend that we’re not in the middle of a pandemic and a random, middle of Spring New Year’s Eve Party seems like the best way to do just that.

The HLN Online Book Club

I might be a teensy bit biased on this one, but the HLN Book Club on Facebook is a fantastic way to chat to new people, read something different and have a daily focus. The book club is currently reading a book a week because we have so much extra time on our hands. Each Sunday to Saturday we read a few chapters a day, with daily posts on the page to discuss the chapters we’ve read. There’s also an ‘initial thoughts’ video on Sunday to start our new book as well as a Facebook live on Saturday’s. We even have some author discussion lined up as well, but you’ll have to join the group to find out more about that!

Join the HLN Book Club, here

Online Yoga Class

Keeping fit can feel extra challenging at the moment. After all, we can only have one outside trip for exercise, and finding motivation without our usual routines can be near-impossible. Luckily, a number of local studios are offering online yoga classes to keep you motivated.

As well as a great yoga class, you’ll also be part of the social part of classes with time to chat before and after. Live classes usually happen on Zoom and you have the option to be seen and heard at the start and end of the class. You’ll be muted during, although you can choose to be seen and see everyone else taking part. I would also recommend playing some music, lighting a candle or some incense and trying to create a studio feel as you follow along with the class. Then, chat with the teacher and other students for a few minutes at the end. You might even make some new yoga buddies!

Wellness Space is offering over 20 online classes a week at the moment and each class is just £5.00 per household.

Good Old FaceTime

Never have FaceTime or WhatsApp Video Calls been so valuable. I only ever really used video calls when travelling, but now I love scheduling ‘coffee dates’ with friends. We make a coffee and sit down to chat, pretending we’re out of the house. Catching up face to face feels far more social than exchanging texts and Instagram comments, so you’ll get a real boost from these calls.

Why not try watching your favourite show ‘together’ or tuning into a yoga class and video calling before or after? It’s as close as we can get right now to socialising, so it’s worth a shot to boost your mood and keep up with your friends!