GIVEAWAY! Read to the end to enter today’s small business giveaway! You could win, and so will your favorite local business! When we work together, we can be #SmallBusinessStrong.

Introverts! Please put your book down and check on your extroverted friends. They are not okay!

I saw that on Facebook when this whole quarantine started, and it cracked me up because it’s TRUE! I get truly depressed when I go too long without seeing or talking to another person. Thank goodness for my husband, but I also need to know that other people still like me and haven’t forgotten about me. Can you relate?

So this whole social distancing thing is a tough one. I work out every day and try to get outside for a walk to get some vitamin D and sunshine vibes, but I still need human interaction at least every other day to keep me out of the depths of despair. So to help us all out while we’re #AloneTogether, here are 10 ways to be social from a distance!

1. Video Chat for a Coffee or Lunch Date

No, really! Text your friend to see when they’re free, and plan to video chat for a while over coffee or for a lunch date. This is 2020, and we have more ways to connect virtually than ever before. You don’t have to eat alone, have coffee alone, or sit alone. You can FaceTime, Zoom, Instagram Live, Facebook Live, etc., etc., etc.! Video chat capabilities mean this quarantine doesn’t actually have to be synonymous with isolation.

2. Participate in a Live Workout

This is good for two things: releasing endorphins and getting social time! So many fitness influencers are doing FREE workouts on Instagram and other platforms. Even though it’s not quite “personal” training and it’s not in-person, just listening to another person will help you feel more connected. And releasing endorphins makes you feel good for hours even after you’re finished! Here are my favorites:

• Kira Stokes and some of her super-famous clients are doing Instagram Live workouts to you can follow along and participate! Just the other day I worked out with Kira and Candace Cameron Bure!
• Morit Summers is doing at-home workouts on Instagram that you can follow along with! She is incredibly motivating and a role model for women everywhere.
• Achieve Fitness Boston is a husband and wife trainer team, and they’re doing amazing at-home workouts! You can do everything you need with just your body weight, your couch, a chair, or a toy (they’re also parents)! They even have advanced moves for those who feel like a body weight workout can’t possibly be good enough!
• Kasia Keranen always gives her Instagram followers “Just 5” moves each day to get us moving even without a gym. All her moves can be done in tight spaces, making sure you have no excuses not to work out!
• Katie Austin (Denise Austin’s daughter!) is also a great one to follow for at-home workouts. She often gears her workouts for people who live in college dorms or apartment buildings (meaning limited space and very little jumping around because of neighbors!), but trust me, you will break a sweat!

3. Go for a Walk Outside

As long as you are able, commit to going outside once a day, even if just for a 5-minute walk. You can keep your social distance and still talk to your neighbors. Dogs can’t get or give the coronavirus, so you can pet your neighbors’ dogs if that’s okay with them. Get that vitamin D, see some sunshine, and take a few minutes to chat with your neighbors. No neighbors? Get outside anyway! It will help, I promise!

4. Tune in to a Church Service or Bible Study

Churches will always meet, maybe just not in a common building. If you go to Church of Christ in Falls Church Facebook Page, you will find sermons that have been live streamed and saved. We have a Zoom account for Wednesday night Bible Study. We even have a “Worship Hotline” so you can call in if you don’t have or want to use the Internet. Many churches either already have or are learning ways to stream worship services and Bible studies. If you need something uplifting to help you through the quarantine, call a church office near you, e-mail a church (an e-mail address will be on the website for at least someone at the church), or simply search for “church live stream” and see what comes up.

5. Listen to an Audiobook or Podcast

Maybe you’re lonely, but you just don’t have the energy or confidence in the moment to call someone or have a conversation. Podcasts and audio books are a great way to feel less alone right now. There’s a podcast for everyone, and you can download audiobooks right to your smartphone these days. I came a little late to the podcast game, but you can listen to them for FREE on Spotify, iTunes, Castbox, and more. Just search for “mystery podcast,” “motivational podcast,” “encouraging podcast,” “travel podcast,” “self-help podcast,” or anything else you might be interested in!

6. Call Someone Every Day

Even if you don’t want to sometimes, commit to calling one new person per day. Odds are, they will be glad to hear from you, and they might need some company just like you do! Make a list of the people you want to call this week, and assign a day to each one. Get your daily dose of conversation, and you just might make someone’s day!

7. Attend an Online Concert

Y’all! This is an amazing time to be alive! Keith Urban, Garth Brooks, Chris Martin, Pink, John Legend, Rob Thomas, Luke Combs, Brad Paisley, Luke Bryan, Josh Groban, and even Andrew Lloyd Weber have been giving FREE concerts through various platforms online! I’m so overwhelmed with the generosity of artists using their skills to bring people joy.

8. Order Take-out

Help yourself, help your favorite local restaurant, and help the people who need to deliver food to make a little money in this weird season. Even though delivery will be contactless, you can still see another person, thank them, chat with them for a minute or so, ask how their day is going, and get a little social time to help you remember that you are not alone.

9. Foster a Dog or Cat

This is the perfect time to foster a dog or a cat! Foster animals sometimes need a little more attention than usual, and y’all, we got nothin’ but time! You will never feel lonely with a dog around to love you, that’s for sure! Get in touch with a local animal shelter and see who needs a good home for a while. You might even find a forever friend!

10. Text “Home” 741-741 to Chat with Someone Who Wants You to Be Well

If you are truly feeling low and can’t even bring yourself to call someone, send a text to the Crisis Text Line. There will be someone, day or night, to text with you until you feel better. I love that this service exists, and I hope spreading the word will help those who don’t know what else to do.

How are you getting social during this social distancing time? Comment below so we can all be in on it!

Today’s Giveaway

Today’s giveaway is YOUR PICK! Think about your favorite small business, the small business your friend is starting up, the small business that you really want to see come through this quarantine like a winner, and enter the contest so you can both win! Here’s how:

• SHARE this post on Facebook or SHARE my latest Instagram post on your Instastories.
• TAG both Quick Whit Travel and your favorite local small business-–or businesses!–-in the post. This can be a shop, boutique, restaurant, hair salon, bakery, coffee shop, etc. Tag as many as you like!

I will choose a winner at 9:00am Friday, March 27, to receive a $25 gift card (or item worth up to $25 if the business does not offer gift cards) from their favorite small business! Everyone wins!

Want more about getting through The Great COVID-19 Quarantine 2020 together? Check out my Health and Wellness Page for all my tips, recommendations, and how you can help small businesses for free!

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