Tips on how to stay emotionally connected with your friends and loved ones while not able to physically BE with them.
Even though we can't be physically 'together' right now, it's so important for our mental health and happiness to stay emotionally connected with our friends, family, and support system.
It's easy to start feeling very lonely and withdrawn when we can't meet our siblings for a lunch date, go out for drinks with our friends, or have game night with our parents. But the truth is...
We can all still BE here for eachother without actually BEING together.
Virtual Happy Hours are a great way to still stay connected with our tribes during this time. Not only do they serve the purpose of an actual 'Happy Hour' (a time to unwind and relax after a long day of work), but they also make a great opportunity for you to 'see' your friends or family members and catch up with them.
Here are some keys to make your virtual Happy Hour a hit with all in attendance!
Think of a theme
Make it fun! Whether it's a Chopp'd style cocktail making competition or you have everyone dress up as their favorite Disney character...add a theme to the Happy Hour to make things even more light and comical. We could all use a break from the heaviness/seriousness of everything going on right now. So think of some themes that get people's creative juices flowing and sense of humor tickled.
Consider number of people
If you're going to do a game night or something that requires a certain amount of people, make sure to choose a game or activity that works for however many people you invited!
Choosing a platform
Whether you're using ZOOM, the House Party app, Facetime, or Skype, make sure everyone has access to the platform and knows how to sign on. This relates to "planning ahead" below.
Planning ahead
Since your virtual Happy Hour will involve technology with the platform of your choosing, send out the invite as well as instructions on how to download and/or use the platform well in advance of the set time. Try to pick a time that works for everyone you want to invite and try not to invite more than 20 people since the more people the more difficult it will be to keep things on track as well as allow everyone time to speak. Giving the Happy Hour some structure in the form of a loose schedule is recommended so that all attendees are sure to participate and be engaged.
Choose a Leader
One of the final keys to organizing a successful virtual Happy Hour is to have one person be the host - much like if you were actually in the person's home. This "host" position can rotate from Happy Hour to Happy Hour so no one person becomes too overwhelmed with organizing and planning.
Have you hosted or been invited to a virtual Happy Hour yet?
How are you staying emotionally connected to your people during this time?
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