Girls’ Night In – I Want To Connect With Others

1- Go on a date to your living room

“Spending so much time with my partner, I’ve found that there’s no use in asking, “how was your day?” because odds are, you already know the answer. You were there. This guide to activities and date ideas, like taking an online cooking class or dressing up just to go to your living room, is to help you suffuse your love life with a little more umph while we all wait out the quarantine.” – Guest tip from: Eva Goicochea, founder and CEO of maude

Plan your next date 👉

2- Write a letter to a friend

“I’ve been writing and sending letters to friends to stay connected and get through all of this together.” – Guest tip from: Ann Friedman, Co-Host of the Call Your Girlfriend podcast

3- Play Psych with family and friends via Zoom

“Last weekend I discovered the game Psych! It’s an app from the Ellen DeGeneres team and it’s been a really fun way to connect with everyone I know. We’re starting a game with my extended family tonight and we’ve also roped our friends in — there is literally nobody who is safe from an invite from me.” -Katrina, GNI team

Download and play 👉

4- Collab on a Pinterest board

“Create a pinterest board [full of helpful tips or inspiration] for a friend! Maybe someone who is moving, having a baby, trying out a new diet/cooking trend.” – Savannah

Go to Pinterest 👉

5- Learn about the history of loneliness to feel less alone

“This New York Times article details the history of loneliness and it’s been one of my favorite reads this week.” -Bruck N

Read the article 👉

6- Join The Juggle community on Slack

Connect with others about the things that challenge you, bring you joy, make you scream out loud, make you laugh, and make you just need to feel heard. The Juggle community is a safe space to bring your full self, your victories and your frustrations.

Join the Slack 👉

7- Subscribe to The Weekly Ritual

This is a Sunday night newsletter that details the routines of diverse, interesting women. It’s always a great read and it’s so comforting to see how other women are coping with everything going on.

Subscribe to the newsletter 👉

8- Make a new friend on the phone

“Sign up to be a care buddy and chat with elders or be connected with someone to talk through during this time in multiple formats: texts, calls, video chats, etc.” – Taylor K

Sign up to chat 👉

9- Join The Letter Project

“The Letter Project allows women around the world to write letters to young girls who are going through a hard time. I’m a firm believer that most of us want to be part of something bigger and find ways to give back, but don’t always know how to do it. This is an easy way to foster a sense of community for women and build one another up through collaboration and shared confidence.” -Elizabeth L.

Join the project 👉

10- Try Quarantine Chat if you’re looking for a listening ear

Quarantine Chat is a tool for folks who may be isolated and looking to talk. It’s free and available worldwide, so you can talk on the phone with someone else who might also be stuck at home.

Start chatting 👉

11- Record your family history

Stuck at home with your parents or other relatives? Everyone has a story to tell, and now’s the perfect time to dedicate some energy to documenting your family history! You can record IRL if you’re quarantined in the same household, or you could make use of Zoom’s record feature and/or voice notes on your phone to get it all down.

Here’s a guide to help you get started 👉

12- BYOB and hop on Zoom to catch up with your friends

Host a virtual happy hour with friends this week. Bonus points if you share a cocktail or mocktail recipe in the calendar invite.

13- Create a TED Talk Circle

Share your expertise, passion, or learnings with friends and family! Organize a virtual TED Talk Circle by allotting 5-10 minutes to each participant for a presentation on the topic of their choosing. If your group is more discussion-based rather than presentation-oriented, select one talk to watch together and discuss as a group.

Find a TED Talk 👉

14- Reconnect with friends over a game of virtual Codenames

Turn happy hour into game night with Horsepaste and play virtual Codenames while you video chat with your friends.

Click here to play 👉

15- Try these ideas for games to play (together but apart) with friends

Staying in? Try your hand at some of these games on your own or with friends. 🎮

See the full list here 👉

16- Watch Netflix at the same time as your friends

Try Teleparty (formerly Netflix Party), a browser extension that synchronizes when everyone’s movie or show starts and allows you to chat throughout.

Get teleParty 👉

17- Join a Deep Talks event

“We started Deep Talks – an event series that allows people to connect through guided, thought-provoking conversations via video chat – in Berlin in 2018, but we decided to move our events online. We were pretty bummed at first, but now our community is growing with guests from all over the world. In many ways, it’s even more exciting than before.” – Alison R. D.

Learn more 👉

18- Add some visual interest to your video calls 📹

“This has been my greatest source of joy on work calls (if you dare) and personal calls with my friends. Don’t mind me — just demonstrating my new favorite thing over here.” – Olivia, GNI Team

Download visual affects 👉

19- Tune into a Posh N Coffee virtual event to build community (and your Poshmark business!)

Posh N Coffee is a series of educational events hosted by Poshmark Ambassadors that are geared toward helping you build — or start — your business. Sip some coffee with new friends and get expert tips.

Click here to learn more 👉

20- Play Jackbox games with long distance loved ones

“My family learned how to play Jackbox games on Zoom from different states. While it isn’t as perfect as goofing around with them in person, it feels good to stay connected through something positive.” – Allison M.

Check it out 👉

21- Send a friend a care package

“If you’re missing a friend or family member, think of sending them a care package! Small Packages is a small woman-owned business that curates care packages for many different occasions, and ships them out. They have packages for self-care, promotion, a tough time, etc. at different price points, starting at $35. I recently sent a self-care package to a good friend who is a nurse!” -Katie

Send a package 👉

22- Tune In to TED Connects

Althought the free TED Connects live, daily conversation series spotlighting experts whose ideas can help you work through A tough time with self-compassion and wisdom is complete, you can watch the recaps. And new TeDx events are still going strong.

watch ted connects recaps and Join the tedx conversation 👉

23- Host a virtual happy hour

“Send out a text to “host” happy hour. Set the time, suggest a drink (maybe’s it’s just whatever you have on hand) and set up a video chatroom for friends to join. Ask anyone if they’d like to ‘host’ the next one!” -Ana May D.

24- Send a friend a “quarantine card” 💌

“Send a “quarantine card” to a friend! Get out your cute stationery and send a friend some joy & entertainment. Don’t forget to tape the envelope shut — no licking!” -Sarah H

25- Subscribe to the Lesbians Who Tech & Allies newsletter

Lesbians Who Tech & Allies has a “(Not IRL) Squad Series,” newsletter that brings its community and the content it loves together in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis. You can subscribe to their newsletter for intimate conversations with speakers, and workshops and sessions focused on technology trends, career growth, and personal wellness.

Sign up for the newsletter 👉

26- Throw a friend a Zoom birthday party to make them feel special

You can make the cake, your friends can make some signs, and everyone can tune into a Zoom meeting to celebrate a friend’s birthday even while everyone’s apart. All you have to do is put in a little coordination to make your friend’s day special.

27- Share videos and chat with friends on the Marco Polo app

You don’t have to worry about syncing up schedules anymore. Unlike other video chat apps, you don’t have to be live on Marco Polo to share you day with your friends. You can post videos asynchronously!

Download the app 👉

28- Host a Words with Friends tournament

Dig through your unused apps, it’s time to bring back Words with Friends in a major way. Write up a bracket and get the competition started.

get the app (again) 👉

29- Bring back game night with Jackbox Games’ party packs

Jackbox Games offers all kinds group games to play across multiple platforms. Use your phone, computer, or gaming console to host a virtual game night as you video call each other.

Play Jackbox games with friends 👉

30- Send short videos to the family group message

Zoom calls are great, but sometimes, coordinating a time for everyone to meet up can be tricky. To stay better connected with family, try recording the little things throughout your day — like a puzzle you’ve finished or a meal you made — and send it to the family group chat intermittently to keep loved ones connected and in the loop. Think of this as your “welcome to my vlog” moment.

31- Schedule weekly FaceTime dates

It’ll give you something to look forward to, and ensure you see your friends and/or family on a regular basis.

32- Back to Stay Home Take Care Home

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