The Standard, High Line hotel shines every night with this heart. It’s doing a great job of nurturing every New Yorker walking, biking or driving up the West Side Highway.
It’s April 2020 and it feels like we’re each the main characters of our own apocalypse themed movie. You’re likely taking extreme actions - dressing up in protective gear to leave the house, physically distancing yourself from everyone you love, and unsure of when and how this will end. You are not alone. We’re feeling it too - the world is a bundle of unpredictability right now.
The good news is that new opportunities are emerging too. Pollution is plummeting, you can stream $200 ticket broadway shows for free, and we’re all being forced to slow down.
There’s also a big opportunity for more Crabwalking. There’s more time and emphasis being put on connecting with the people that matter most to you. These connections can keep you motivated while also helping with anything happening in your work.
Seize the opportunity and nurture your existing relationships, while social-distancing. Here are 14 ideas to get you started, from the comfort of wherever you are quarantining.
Nurture to feel connected and stay motivated:
Connecting with people in our own way is often what gives us energy to get through the day. Take a look at what kind of connection, if any, you’ve been missing and see which of these you can integrate to help you feel more connected and motivated.
Keep close to those on the front lines. Although they are extra busy, a quick text or FaceTime attempt to the people you know who are on the front lines, will keep their spirits up! Whether the last time you’ve talked is last week or 5 years ago, we promise the effort will be welcomed. If they’re working in a hospital, you might want to consider buying them a meal via great organizations like Frontline Foods.
Call a friend for a 2-minute pep talk. When you find yourself down, you have a lot of options. You can wallow in the sadness and turn on Gilmore Girls; you can journal and uncover what’s underneath it all; or you can take a nap. Another option? Find someone who always makes you feel better and send them this text: “Hey! Have 2 minutes for a pep talk?” They might not answer, so consider asking a few people. These talks can do wonders to get you back on track.
Send out some handmade gifts. Get out those colored pencils, paper, sewing machine or glue. Crafting is making a comeback - and what better way to spread the love than a handmade card, candle, or even mask! (Be safe with delivery!)
Enjoying the blog? Print out this guide on how to virtually nurture your connections.
Laura’s sister, among many other wonderful people, have been sewing masks for healthcare workers. She gives extras to families in the neighborhood who don’t have the time or inclination to make masks.
Document family stories. It’s extra important to reach out to our elderly family members that are more at risk, and therefore more confined to their home. Take advantage of any downtime to document the stories you’ve always wanted to hear about from their childhoods, experiences, and decades you only have experienced through textbooks. Take notes or record your conversations you can reference down the road.
Host a virtual game night. Sometimes you just need a break. Or an excuse to close your laptop. Or to finish dinner. Have you tried Jackbox games? Or cards against humanity? PRO TIP: ask if anyone wants to invite a friend from a different circle to join the game. It can be a great way to reconnect or meet new people.
Have regular themed Zoom session. Schedule a regular Zoom session with your family or close friend group. Someone hosts the theme each time. Even if you only take 2 minutes to prep and spend 10 minutes together. It’s a great way to give a little structure to your day and feel joy. It also creates an excuse to know more about each other than you would otherwise and gives you something to look forward to.
Laura has a regular Zoom drawing session with whoever in her family is free to join. Her sister brings a prompt and then they draw. No other rules. This is a chick with a ring and a bike.
Organize an online group workout session. Staying motivated to go to the gym or workout can be difficult at the best of times. Grab a few former colleagues and schedule a time to work out together. Conduct your own sessions, or take advantage of the many free online workout classes available.
Party on Netflix! Netflix has released a new feature that lets you watch movies on Netflix at the same time as your friends. Pretend you’re back in your dorm room with your college buddies and throw on Half Baked (Carly’s college fave). Grab the popcorn and use the group chat function so you can relive the good days together.
Meet your neighbors (at a distance) during happy hour! Text around your building or neighborhood to find a time to meet in your driveway, on your stoop, or your fire escape, while safely socially distancing. You might even be able to creatively share a pour or two.
Laura met her neighbors and has been doing regular fire escape happy hours from a distance.
Nurture to help with any job transition:
Even if the economy is a bust and lay-offs are happening left and right, you can still take this time to authentically nurture your connections and set yourself up for the next chapter of your career. Here are some ways to do that:
Make something you can talk about with others. Think about yourself a few months down the road. What would you want to be able to say you did? Just because you can’t leave the house, doesn’t mean you can’t accomplish something that builds your skillset and showcases what you’re capable of. Maybe that’s a blog post, or a podcast, or a poem. Or maybe, you start the next 7pm NYC cheer for healthcare workers. What inspires you? Direct your energy to something that’s meaningful to you and share it with others, no matter how grand. It will pay off in the short term and be something to bolster any job search in the longterm.
Maybe your creation involves showing appreciation for a certain pandemic time leader…
Send emails to ex-coworkers. If you’re job searching now or thinking about it in a few months, this a great time to reach out and send an email to those 2-3 people who could really make a difference once you pick up your search. Of course, always be 100% genuine. Let them know you’re eventually going to start the search and may look for their help soon. In the meantime, you want to check in how they’re doing and always send something of value - a relevant article, gif or video that makes you laugh.
Small touch points count (e.g. texts). While you’re binging Tiger King, go through your texts and send a “checking in” message to people you haven’t spoken to in a while. A short text is super low effort, and that 5-second touchpoint will be welcome as we’re all experiencing a dearth of social connection.
Carly’s text to one of her closest friends, Blair, who lives in Jackson Hole to let her know she was thinking of her while enhancing her brunch game with a special pancake mix she purchased last time she visited Blair.
Have a 30-minute virtual exploratory chat. If you want to get clear on what jobs or companies would be inspiring to you, start by talking to people in the role or company. Some people have ample time right now and will welcome the opportunity to help someone else. Others won’t. You might ask 5 people and get 2-3 people on board for a Zoom chat. That’ll be all you need! Make sure to send them a thank you email after and write down what you learned from the call. What resonated? What didn’t?
Email your close connections with a direct ask for help. Are you already searching and in need of help? You can email a few people with a direct ask. Maybe they can connect you to someone else, help you with your resume, or send out the word that you’re really talented and looking for a job in marketing / operations / storytelling / design / etc. Just make sure you’re clear on what you’re looking for and what your ask is. Also, be mindful of the times and let them off the hook if they can’t help you right now.
Want to download these easy ways of virtually connecting during lockdown?
How have you been staying connected from home? Comment below or email us (hello@thecrabwalk.com) and tell us!