Photo credit: www.weareteachers.com
OKAY. So. It’s winter and you’re trapped in the house. Impending snowstorms, chapped lips, dry hair, bleary eyes. One more Zoom Happy Hour and you swear you’ll e-jump off the e-roof (okay, I’ll stop with the e-puns. I’m ver-e-sorry *shrugs*).
Alas, dear readers, we have to grin and bear it. We’re in this for the long haul. Spring is still two months away, summer is EONS past that, and COVID is running rampant like a streaking senior prank.
So, grab your blue light glasses and buckle up: Here are a few wayward ways to make the internet less...ugh.
10 Fun Ways To Combat
Virtual Burnout
1. Bookworms Unite!
Obviously, I rep this suggestion hard. I’m a big bookworm, and I love ranting about my favorite - and most hated - books with friends and strangers, alike. Before the COVID Crisis hit the PLANET, I was in a very lovely, very nerdy Sci-Fi book club for awkward girls. We met monthly in Lower Manhattan and spent 2-3 hours chatting about the highs and lows of our monthly reading assignment. I LOVED IT.
At first, I was worried we wouldn’t have anything to talk about, or that I would be too nervous to contribute. Turns out, it was the highlight of my week.
So, now that I’m home and endlessly searching for stimulation, why not create a book club of my very own? Thanks to the ease of the internet, my best friend and I have decided to kick off our own virtual social club: A-Story-A Gals. We will meet once a month for book chats, or - if we’re feeling REALLY energetic - once a week for chapter chats, or “chap chats” (yes, I coined that).
In conclusion: Pick a book you’ve always said you were going to read - and READ IT. Grab some wine (or club soda), your coziest blanket, and your friends, and settle in for a night of literary debauchery. You’ll love it.
2. Schedule Themed Watch Parties
One of the things I miss most about...everything...is going to the movies. I love the camaraderie of watching a flick for the first time with friends. Thanks to the internet, we now have Netflix Party, which takes virtual viewing to a whole new level. Crank up the newest flick, pick a time/snack/theme, and kick off your...slippers. Let’s be honest, what else do you have to do?
3. Trivia Nights
Who doesn’t love trivia? Honestly, WHO? Trick question because the answer is no one.
And, while board game nights are tricky when you’re estranged from your friends and family, but who says you can’t be a trivia-whiz online? Thanks to neat-o platforms like Trivia Crack, it’s easier than ever to add an element of scholarly competition to your next happy hour.
Trust me, you’ll get caught up in the magic before you know what hit you.
4. PC Games
Don’t laugh at me, but PC games are BACK! And, if you’re like me...they never left. Download your favorite mystery/thriller game, turn out the lights, grab your favorite drink (white wine, if you’re clumsy), and lose yourself in the web.
My personal favorite: Nancy Drew! I’ve been playing these PC games since middle school (YES, MIDDLE SCHOOL), and they get better with age. The newer games are seriously creepy, and it’s a great way to spend an evening of solitude when you’re officially Netflix-ed out.
My first PC suggestion:
5. Online Cooking Classes
From the amateurs to the iron chefs, cooking classes are meant to be fun! Remember fun? Like, in the world, with people? Me neither.
But, for now, we will make due with some virtual culinary wonder. Learn to make your favorite meals, while enjoying some one-on-one time with your favorite foodie masters.
Masterclass: A little $$$, but who doesn’t want to make pork tenderloin with Gordon Ramsey? Also, I hear his scrambled eggs are insane.
AirBnB: For the random munchy night when you want something a little more exciting. Classes start around $15 per person, which is VERY reasonable, in my book. From street tacos to homemade gnocchi, eat your little heart out.
SkillShare: For all the bakers out there, this is the perfect way to finally snag the recipe for those ooey-gooey peanut butter cookies you’ve always wanted. Choose your skill level, class length, and the rest is gravy. Or...icing.
6. Online Paint & Sip
This. THIS.
What a weight off my artsy-fartsy shoulders. These pre-recorded Online Paint & Sip Zoom classes are 19 bucks a pop and give you the freedom to paint, sip, pause, snack, chat, and inevitably spill your drink all over everything.
Frugal Tip: Trying to save a buck? Me too. Head to your local dollar store for a cheap canvas and paint brush set, find a painting tutorial on YouTube, and have at it. You, your paints, and a bottle of whatever cheap fizzy whatever is still sitting in the fridge. Lovely.
7. Spa Party
I’m all about self pampering, so why not do it with friends? Grab your favorite face mask, pore strips, hair oils, and conditioning caps. Sip your favorite cold pressed juice and listen to soothing earth tones (or 90s girl grunge, you’re welcome) and relaaaaxxx with your Zoom besties.
It seems simple, which it is, but it’s also really satisfying. Conclusion? Treat yo-self.
8. Tarot Nights
Ready for the next full moon?
Grab your Tarot deck, your candles, crystals, and hit the internet! I love doing online readings with my witchiest of friends. It’s a very magical way to stay connected, while embracing the month ahead. Out with the old and in with the new, dear readers.
Chug that moon water like there’s no tomorrow.
9. Broadway Baby Dance Offs
If you’re like me, you miss movin’ and groovin’.
Pull a Christina & Meredith on Grey’s Anatomy and DANCE IT OUT. Share your screen, pull up your most badass playlist, and dance your aerobic heart out. Practice choreography, Darren’s Dance Grooves...honestly, whatever gets you moving and makes you feel good. Plus, when you mess up (it’ll happen), your friends will be there to mock you. Just like the good old days. Sigh.
10. Candlelit Chats
Writing this as a single person, I’m not all about that mushy-gushy right now. These days, it’s about friends, family, and myself. That being said, no one said candles and mood lighting are off the table. Light your favorite scented candles, slip into your coziest of cozies, and talk it out with your best friends. Something as simple as talking through your day - your highs, lows, worries, stressors, dreams, fears - can make all the difference. Just because you can’t give your friends an in-person hug doesn’t mean a virtual hug isn’t just as impactful.
Yes, I just threw up a little. Gag. But, the sentiment still stands. Don’t forget about checking in with your friends. It’ll be good for everyone.
Final Thoughts
This surge in virtual activity might have us all feeling a little drained, but it’s also an excellent opportunity to find new activities! Start a club, join a group, cook something new, call your friends, do something different. We’re in this for as long as it takes...Might as well get through it without wanting to E-Vom all over everyone.
Stay home and don't breathe on anyone.
XOXO
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