As the country goes into the third week of the Work From Home order, some might start to miss how we connect with each other freely.  Feelings of isolation and pressures of juggling between working from home while taking care of children, pets and/or parents may have started to surface as our daily routines start to evolve within the confines of our homes. 

 

The practice of social distancing has now changed the way we socialise with loved ones and friends, host office meetings, and even the way we spend time on hobbies and sports we like. Thankfully, our increasingly wired world allows us to stay connected even if we can’t be there in real life. Here’s a few hacks to inject some more fun while virtually connecting with your colleagues, friends and family members: 

 

Working from home requires extra structure, intention and care. In person, there are continuous opportunities to gather context, clarify intentions and adapt to each other’s needs. When a team is dispersed, it’s important to invest energy in planning ahead, documenting decisions, and communicating proactively. Here’s a toolkit on some tips and resources to help you do your best work, wherever you’re working.

 

Video Chat in Messenger makes it simple and seamless for us to have face-to-face conversations no matter where you are, perfect for those spontaneous moments when a text just isn’t enough. You can see up to eight people at a time but don’t worry if your group is a little larger because up to 50 friends can join in and choose to just listen in and join via voice, or be on camera.

 

For tighter security, designate a Group Admin, or a few, so you can approve and remove members if needed, and promote or demote admin access. This is especially helpful in large group chats with people you may not yet be connected to, like when you’re planning a teammate’s surprise birthday party with different groups of coworkers. 
 

 

You can liven up those mundane meetings with cool features like animated reactions, filters, masks and effects.

 

Sitting around for hours all day may leave you sluggish and lethargic so remember to take a break every now and then - stretch your legs, whip up a Dalgona coffee or challenge your friends to a quick game on Facebook Messenger like Space Invader or Words With Friends. 

 

Don’t forget to also maintain your fitness during this period. If you’re looking for inspiration, some of our fitness communities have taken to social media to host free and and live workout sessions on Facebook and Instagram including the likes of FHIIT.lk,   and Tarja along with personal online fitness coaches such as Gaia, Yohan and Alpha Lee Fitness who aim at keeping people fit and healthy at home.

 

While we aren’t able to catch our favourite movies at the cinema with friends, there are some other fun ways of co-viewing at the comfort of your couch at home. 

 

On Facebook, host your very own Watch Party anytime, anywhere! On your News Feed or timeline, click ‘Make Post’, select ‘Watch Party’ and ‘Add Video’ to search for a video or category. To add video to your watch list, click ‘Add to Queue’. Once you’ve added a description to your Watch Party, click ‘Post’. You’ll see a message that says ‘Your Watch Party Is About To Begin’. Time to add your friends in and enjoy. 

 

 

Co-watching on Instagram launched in March 2020 and is available globally. It is similar to Watch Party - the feature lets you view Instagram posts with your friends on video chat. 

 

Tap the video chat icon in your Direct inbox or existing Direct thread to start a video chat. You then can view Saved, Liked, and Suggested photos or videos by tapping the photo icon in the bottom left corner in an ongoing video chat. This will allow your friends in the video chat to be able to view the photo or video in real time too.

 

If you run your own business from home, interact with your customers in real-time with Facebook Live. You can answer burning questions, ask what’s on their minds and see their live reactions during your broadcast. 

 

As religious groups and institutions navigate through restrictions on physical get together during times of social distancing, reaching to their members virtually is an alternative. We listened to what faith institutions need to help them optimize on our platform to stream their services and connect their communities outside of formal worship. We are happy to pass along the Facebook Faith Toolkit, to equip you with the tools to help you continue the faith conversations you have during the week on our platform.

 

Also catch your favourite local artists on platforms like Pettah Effect and Hungama music Sri Lanka where they partnered with local musicians like Umaria, Yohani, Romaine and many other local artists to bring the full musical experience to you while you’re staying safe indoors.

 

Further, artists such as Minesh and so many more bring the full musical experience to you as they go live often.

 

You can now spread awareness and accurate COVID-19 information with friends and family with our new stickers in Stories. These new features include healthy reminders to wash your hands, distance yourself from others and more that was developed in partnership with the World Health Organisation (WHO). 

 

Staying in touch with friends and loved ones has never been more important than it is now, and we hope Facebook will make it easier to keep the people most important to you close during this time. So, wash your hands, keep calm, and let’s play our part. Together we can #stayathome.