6+1 ways to stay connected with your residents through this social distancing
07 Apr 2020
We live in uncertain times were social gatherings or even family gatherings are dangerous! For the last two months the world has been trying to fight an invisible enemy across the globe. In an effort to prevent and stop the spread of Covid-19, nations have banned social distancing across communities and self-quarantine have been enacted. At the moment, the majority of business, schools and universities have closed. Many residents have switch to the digital era, working from home, attending classes online and even get together with friends or family online! New ways of staying connected through this social distancing are explored!
Residents and Property Managers were used to engage in person on a weekly basis but the social distancing has made this impossible. The lack of the face-to-face communication probably will disrupt this relationship, making the residents feel isolated and alone. In situations like this its important to try and make your residents feel positive and not to panic. Moreover, build the sense of community rather than selfishness and individuality that comes from isolation. But how can you do this during the self-quarantine? Below you will find 6+1 easy and fun ways to stay connected with your residents during the social distancing:
Doesn’t mean that because we can’t go to the gym we can’t keep in shape! Exercise help people stay healthy and improve the mood as well. You can encourage your residents to stay healthy and positive by sharing free online fitness resources. Propose them fitness apps like Corepower Yoga, Home Workout or Beachbody On Demand or any other fitness app you are familiar with!
Moreover, people across the world embraced the new reality and have been very creative. For example, in Hamburg a fitness instructor has been giving free workout classes and encourage people to participate from their balconies. In Nicosia a personal trainer has been giving free online classes to her clients and to anyone who is interested.
Organize a game night once a week in order engage your residents in a fun friendly competition with one another through online games. This can be done by inviting each one of your residents to download apps for multiplayer game such as Uno & Friends, Words with friends, Bunch and etc. Additionally, you can also organize an online trivia or taboo night if your residents are not tech savvy with the old style via a chat service like Skype or via Kahoot.
Lots of your residents are parents and during the self-quarantine their kids are staying home. This makes working from home extremely difficult for the parents since it’s difficult to keep kids occupied and still focus on their jobs! You are here for their rescue, help the parents by sending them various online learning resources and educational games such as PBS, Cool Math 4 kids, Arcademics and etc. Kids love playing around with technology and tech-learning. Disguised games will intrigue the kids and why not keep them occupied during daytime that parents need to focus on their job.
It’s well known that during fall-time and spring-time it’s the perfect timing for a good clean up and closet organization! Weather is changing, hot days are near by and we need to organize our closet accordingly. Share with your resident’s useful tips and ideas to organize and clean the house properly and use their time productively.
It’s a great opportunity to use the extra time at home to be productive and host a clothing drive and a good clean up of the house. Furthermore, why not throw old stuff, junks that you no longer need? A word of advice, if any of the dispose items (clothes, toys, etc) are in a good condition please donate them to people in need.
Due to the self-quarantine a lot of people are no longer able to celebrate important events like birthdays or anniversaries with their family and friends. It’s important for people to stay connected and celebrate important moments with other people in order to maintain their positivity. What can you do about it? Try to be creative and use your imagination! Find a way to show your residents you care about them and find a way to celebrate these moments. You can create a weekly newsletter to highlight birthdays, anniversaries and any other important event within your community. You can even send a birthday or celebration card! Organize an online night out with your residents in order to get together and celebrate!
Help your residents come closer to the mother nature and breathe fresh air in the outdoors. It doesn’t mean that because we are in self-quarantine, we can’t enjoy nature. It means we can enjoy it but do it alone and with caution. Encourage your residents to go for a quick walk or hike in the outdoor, maintaining social distancing rules. Doing so they will feel regenerated and will also get a lot of Vitamin D from the sunshine! Provide your residents with a list of local hikes and isolated parks. Also natural walks in your area preferably away from the crowds and why not a map with a walking route through beautiful parts of the city avoiding large intersections and away from central roads.
Living in uncertain times like today reminds people what is really important in life and that they are here for one another. Staying at home in a crisis make people wish they could do something to help. This might include to manage the crisis, or give back to society like many others are doing at the moment. Help your residents get organised and start a fundraiser for a local organization like Red Cross or create their own. Offer them the chance to participate by donating money or volunteering their time and stay connected during the social distancing. A community group in Liopetri has come together to make antiseptic gel for the local hospital and anyone else in need. Offering back to the community doesn’t always entail donating money but sometimes it entails donating time and expertise. United together we can make a difference!
Difficult times require patient, strength and unity. Community is everything and it’s all of our job to maintain it! We live in an innovative tech savvy era. With the help of technology and creativity, you can find various ways to maintain your relationship with your residents. Provide them ideas or suggestions and staying connected together through this social distancing. We will go through it and end up even stronger!
Elena Kourti
