From Virtual Parties to PC Gaming Nights: Here Are 5 Ways to Stay Connected While You're Stuck at Home

Everyone needs some level of social connection. It fosters a healthier mindset and improves one's mental health. However, the pandemic put a stop to physical meetups and friendly get-togethers. 

This resulted in a collective decline in mental health. A survey conducted in December 2020 by the US Census Bureau reported that 42% of people experienced symptoms of anxiety or depression. This was likely due to the isolation brought about by strict stay-at-home measures. Although restrictions are easing, many people are still stuck working at home. So, here are five ways remote workers can foster human connections.

Host a Virtual Party

2020 was the year of video conferencing applications. And though the pandemic is coming to a close, that doesn't mean people can't still enjoy virtual parties. If you have loved ones or coworkers who live in far-flung places, it’s worth considering scheduling a group video call to catch up. 

For a more enjoyable experience, you can incorporate music or games to ensure your guests have fun. Some applications even let you watch YouTube videos or stream Netflix shows together.

Have a Game Night

Alternatively, upgrade your virtual party into a game night. There are plenty of games you can play online. For example, Skribbl.io and Spyfall are playable straight from your browser. You can also play the JackBox game series as long as one of you has a copy. If your friends want a more immersive experience, get them to try competitive multiplayer games, like League of Legends or Smite. Who knows? Maybe your non-gamer friends will enjoy it. 

If they do end up enjoying themselves, it might be time for you and your friends to each invest in a PC. There are plenty of gaming PCs to choose from — from DIY computer builds to all-in-one gaming laptops. PCs are highly customizable, so you can adapt your build to your budget. For instance, the MSI Aegis RS 10TD-213US is a high-powered build with the internal processing unit, keyboard, and mouse already included. This setup delivers an extraordinary gaming experience, meaning you and your buddies can play even the most graphically demanding games. But for a more budget-friendly option, you can get the MSI GF75 Thin 10SCXR-617 gaming notebook, which features a sleek design and powerful processors. Despite its size, it still promises a smooth gaming experience. With a little bit of planning and research, you can optimize your setup, making for more fun gaming sessions.

Schedule Remote Exercise Sessions

If you want to bond with buddies and get fit, why not hold regular group exercise sessions? All you need to do is hop on a video call workout together. You can even make a challenge out of it. Gear up with a fitness tracker, then see who's the most active. Apart from making exercising more fun, fitness trackers are also known to motivate people because they see their numbers go up.

Fitness tracking should ideally be paired with a smartwatch, so it's a good idea to invest in one. The Fitbit Versa 3 is a great option because it has voice-control features and can track 30 different types of exercises. For a more lightweight smartwatch, you can opt for the Fitbit Charge 4 instead. You can upload your fitness progress to the Fitbit app to see how you fared against your friends.

Explore Countless Online Communities

If you want to meet new people, look no further than the Internet. Following the pandemic, there's been a boom in online communities. It's allowed people from all walks of life to meet new friends from behind their screens. Admittedly, online communities were present long before the pandemic, but they’ve really grown in the last year or so.

If you have any hobbies or interests, chances are, there's an online community for it. With a little digging, you can find the community for you, whether it's an intimate online book club or a huge gardening forum.

Lastly, Help Others with Mayo

Another way to connect with new people is to look to your local community. Though this technically won't be happening "at home," it comes pretty close. It might be a bit hard to strike up a conversation with your neighbors, especially if you've never talked to them before, but that's where an app like Mayo comes in!

Mayo is a communication app that lets you ask or offer help to those in your neighborhood. It can be used for anything! You can share extra groceries, report a lost set of keys, or even ask if anyone has a spare hammer. It's a great app that encourages kindness, so try it out! You'll be surprised by how many people are willing to lend a hand. 

Social connection doesn't just happen in physical spaces. It can also take place over digital platforms. You just need to find the right one for you.

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-Contributed by Sarah-

Sarah S. Whittle is a full-time entrepreneur and full-time mother. Despite her hectic lifestyle, she enjoys baking for both her kids and her customers. And when she isn't changing diapers or measuring cups of flour, she's engrossed in a self-help book.

How Technology is Helping Us Get Better at Asking for Help

Written by Patrick C. Kreitzer.

Via Unsplash by Alex Knight @agk42

It’s no secret that it’s difficult to ask for help. “We don’t want to be ashamed of our situation, or come across as incompetent,” said M. Nora Bouchard, the author of Mayday! Asking for Help in Times of Need, in an interview. “So, we work really hard to make sure people don’t see us this way.” You may feel like people have problems of their own too, implying that they have no time for yours. But that can’t be further from the truth. Bouchard asserts that a lot of people are more than happy to provide their assistance, and your situation can improve through talking to someone.

The good news is that asking for help is now easier due to technology. Here are some of the ways technology is helping us ask for help.

Ask help from a computer

If you’re shy about asking for help from another human being you can practice with an AI to get used to the feeling of relying on someone that isn’t you. Computer programs like Cortana, Bixby, and Siri are smart enough to lend you basic support, whether it’s responding to a “how-to” question or to provide you with common facts. Modern PCBs, like the ones found in smartphones, are built with high-density interconnected designs and conductive paths. This grants these gadgets the processing power and battery needed to support AIs, despite their small size. You can also download human-like chatbots like Mitsuku and Dr A.I. to further your practices.

Ask help anonymously

Now that you’ve gotten used to asking for help from an AI, it’s time to take the next step and ask for help from another person. But it isn’t easy to get rid of the incompetency that’s associated with asking, so your next step can be to call for support anonymously. For example, advice app Honest by Ryan Schefske lets people talk to strangers. The user posts a question anonymously — not even a username to separate them from other people — and other users are able to offer up answers. If you don’t mind usernames, then online forums and anonymous chatting apps like Psst are also great places to look into.

Offer help

If you’re still uncomfortable about asking for help because you’re afraid of being a bother, then you should try using technology to offer help to those who ask. This will allow you to experience the enormous benefits of asking for help. The above platforms (forums, Honest, etc.) are good places to start. You can also help people in your neighborhood. This is where Mayo comes in as a communication app that lets you ask and receive help from someone near your location instnatly. For example just moved in to the city and missing a bottle opener for the celebration? Your neighbor probably has that. Stuck at home and baked too much muffins? Many others in your apartment would probably love to help you finish it. It’s the every day things that a quick shoulder-tap can solve, but often the tapping doesn’t even happen now a days in this ever-increasingly-digital world.

Eventually, you’ll find that you’re not bothering anyone by asking for help. It’s their choice if they choose to assist anyway, and those who do are more than happy to help. Studies have found that altruism begins at the baby stage already.

Learning how to ask for help is a process and one that technology can help with. Start by learning how to lean on someone else. Help others to see what it’s like to be on the other side of the conversation. Asking for help will become easier over time.

And hey, did you know, that helping is the best way to start a conversation and building a meaningful relationship with others.

So, About that Loneliness

By Elissa Carey

Photo by Alex Iby on Unsplash

Sometimes after reading the morning news, I become gloomy, however, this morning the news motivated me to want to go out and help people. But I’ve learned that to make a positive change in the world, it’s best to start in our local area. I started by opening up my app, Mayo. Mayo allows people to ask for help from those nearby, as well as respond to requests. It uses geographical location technology so that only people in the same coffee shop as you, or building, can communicate. The app encourages people to do random acts of kindness and inspires selflessness, generosity, and affection. If we could spread these traits to others, perhaps a ripple effect of kindness would take place. According to Dartmouth University, people who engage in random acts of kindness have “23% less cortisol (the stress hormone) and age slower than the average population.”

Many of the bad things happening in the world that are caused by humans are spread because of hate towards one another. The way to take hate out of the picture is to spread love. According to “The Loneliness Cure” by Kory Floyd, a professor who studied interpersonal communication and affection for over twenty years, explains how humans need affection just as much as we need food and water. “Socially disconnected people have social deficits . . . they’re less generous and less willing to help others . . . they also become more aggressive…” (Floyd 145). If we could find a way to reach out to others, many lonely people wouldn’t be as socially disconnected. With the world in a pandemic, loneliness is at an all-time high. According to the Mental Health Foundation in the UK, after the lockdown began 44% of young people aged 18–24 felt lonely, as compared to only 16% before the lockdown. For the most socially connected age group to be this lonely, it’s important that we are supporting and helping each other to the best of our abilities. In acknowledging the pandemic, it’s critical that we spread love, (not Covid-19) by continuing to social distance and wear our masks.

Photo by Etienne Boulanger on Unsplash

To social distance from each other, we rely on technology to continue work; it has become vital to us. A study conducted by the Pew Research Center found that roughly 93% of Americans agreed that not having internet or cell service during the pandemic would be very problematic. The internet and cellphones are where many people are finding solace in their loneliness. What sets Mayo apart from other similar apps, is that it implores users to simply be kind to others. Help others. Spread positivity. If we all spread more kindness, perhaps the news wouldn’t be so disheartening.

PEW Research Center | MARCH 31, 2020