How to Stay Connected From a Distance

How are you staying in touch with loved ones right now? Though the current need for social distancing has brought this question to the forefront for many of us, there are so many times in our lives when we need to get creative about how to stay connected from a distance. Today, we've rounded up some of Team Cultivate's favorite ways to come together... even when we're apart :)

— ARTICLES CLUB (OR BOOK CLUB): Emily, our Chief of Staff, moved her monthly Articles Club to Zoom in March. "We've never missed a month in 4+ years, and we weren't going to start now!" she says. Even if you don't have a long-standing tradition, hopping on to discuss a recent read with a few friends is a great way to break up the monotony.

— FACETIME HAPPY HOUR: Our Marketing Director Julie and two of her high school best friends got together and toasted to another day in the books via everyone's favorite iPhone app. For the younger crowd, Julie's son also likes to FaceTime with his cousin in the evening so they can take baths together! :)

— MARCO POLO: This app allows you to send short video messages to an individual or a group. You can carry on a conversation without worrying about scheduling a time to chat, while still getting the boost of seeing faces and hearing voices! A group for extended family or college friends is common, but the littles love this one, too — Emily's kiddos' preschool class even set up a group to stay connected while they're out of school.

— TENDING LIST ZOOM: A number of gals in our community have sent us photos of their virtual Tending List gatherings, when they get together on FaceTime or Zoom to fill out their new Tending Lists together and chat through their wins from the past month!

— SNAIL MAIL: "Avery and I have been writing notes on the back of her drawings and mailing them to friends and family," says Irene, one of our designers. A lengthy letter, a quick and colorful postcard, or even an article clipped out of a magazine let someone know you're thinking of them.

— BEDTIME STORIES: Marissa, our Partnerships Manager, has been using FaceTime to let her daughter practice reading stories to her grandparents—and vice versa! 

— GAME NIGHT: Madeline's parents and grandparents have been playing card games via Zoom, and Emily has successfully played Scattergories Catergories across the internet with friends.

— GO THROUGH YOUR CONTACTS: Every day, text someone from your contact list on your phone to see how they're doing. 

— CULTIVATE FAMILY CALL: Feeling a little lonely? Don't ever forget you're part of our family! Our first Cultivate Family Call was so fun that we're doing it again. We're hosting the next one on Thursday, April 2 at 10am. We'll share more details next week—join us!

Finally, in this season, we know many of us miss our loved ones, but we also miss the casual connection of strangers while standing in line, at the post office, or on a walk. Many neighborhoods have come up with such fun ways to foster a spirit of connection from afar, like putting rainbow drawings or teddy bears in windows for kiddos on walks to spot or organizing sidewalk chalk art crawls. Check Next Door or your neighborhood Facebook group to see if your block is doing something similar! 

Now, we'd love to hear your creative ideas: tell us in the comments!

More for you: how to pivot your goals when you're stuck at home, how to use your Tending List to live intentionally right now, and the rest of our COVID-19 resources!