Further apart, but closer together...

The amount of times my WhatsApp pings in a day is on the up. Friends are downloading Zoom so we can have virtual dinners, and a quick phone call is increasingly winning over another email. LinkedIn is buzzing with conversations about staying in touch and collaborating remotely. There's been a real - and rapid - shift from the periodic Skype coffee with a friend who moved overseas, or the occasional video conference at work, to everyone scheduling group video chats.

As Coronavirus forces us to retreat behind closed doors for the next few weeks - or months - the phenomenon that has fascinated me the most is the way in which people are now clamouring to connect by different means. There's something quite surreal about it; at the moment the conversation is all about the virus and the impact it will have on our everyday lives, but the longer it goes on the more likely it is that these alternative channels will build the resilience and togetherness we need to get through this.

Here's a recap of some of the best ideas I've heard so far for staying social using video technology;

• quizzes
• lunch and learns / coffee chats
• group exercise sessions
• book clubs / podcast clubs
• webinars / live social media discussions on every topic imaginable!
• virtual spaces to connect if you're feeling alone

This is only the beginning, so in the interest of our collective mental health and wellbeing it will be vital to sustain these higher levels of non-physical communication. The unknown also adds to the urgency in the need to connect; talking and sharing experience is something in our control as we adapt to the changes.

Of course, we're not all so lucky to have an extensive support network - physical or virtual - so if you've been thinking about doing more to support those most at risk of loneliness, now is the time. There are lots of local online forums being set up to serve that purpose; particularly to assist people who are self isolating.

At the end of the day we are fundamentally social beings - temporarily physically apart - so let's hope that these challenging times bring us in some way closer to our friends, our families, our colleagues, and our communities. Now to test out my new Zoom account...!

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