Communicating in Quarantine

2020 was meant to be a promising year. We were hot off the heels of 2019, what many people regard as a general dumpster fire of a year. We were hopeful, we were excited and we were ready to start fresh. What we didn’t know is how drastically our lives would change.

That’s right, folks, we’re talking about the worldwide pandemic--COVID-19--that has changed everything. HPRC is practicing social distancing and we’re all safely in quarantine so we can protect our community and vulnerable populations. Many of our workplaces have closed, our extracurriculars have been cancelled and we’ve made the transition to online schooling.

We’re in an unprecedented time of change and the schedules we so closely hung on to before quarantine are mostly out the window. We’re finding new normals and new ways to interact.

Some of us live alone, some with roommates and some with family. We all have varying degrees of social interaction and we’ve had to get creative in how we communicate. Here’s how we’ve adjusted to the changes and what we’re doing to stay creative:

Madi Maloney, VP of events

“I’ve really been sticking to a routine and adding that structure back in my life. I’ve made the effort to change out of my pyjamas and leave my bedroom when I need to work on assignments or homework. I’ve stayed connected with my friends via Zoom* or FaceTime. We like having daily happy hours, my drink of choice is red wine.”

*Zoom is a remote conferencing service that was mainly used for business meetings before the pandemic hit. It utilizes video conferencing, online meetings, chat services and mobile collaboration. Now, many people are using it to stay connected with friends in large video chats. The platform supports several users in one chat, a feature unavailable on some other video chat services.

Katherine McNabb, events assistant

“I studied abroad for the semester, so I’ve been remotely communicating for a few months now. I was called back to Canada when things started escalating and I’m in the middle of my 14-day self-isolation. I’ve laid out a really sharp schedule for myself because that’s what works the best for me.”

Kat’s daily routine:

5-6 a.m. : wake up and do my morning stretches followed by 3x10 minute workouts (arms, legs, abs, butt) whatever I feel like

7 a.m.: shower and do skin care

8 a.m.: turn on news and have a tea

9 a.m.: email and respond to texts and such

10 a.m.: start making breakfast (I’ve gotten creative bc I have lack of resources)

11 a.m.: eat breakfast

12-2 p.m.: work on homework/ school

3-4 p.m.: read something and have a healthy snack

5 p.m.: eat dinner

6 p.m.: stretches again and skin care, change pjs and such

7-10 p.m.: movie or tv or FaceTime

And then bedtime 🥺🥰

Ricardo Fartura, events assistant

“My friends and I have tried making the biggest FaceTime chat possible. It’s chaotic, and hilarious. The face-to-face interaction is well needed. No amount of socials could replace that.”

Chloe Villeneuve, social media assistant

“I’ve been using Netflix Party* and Youtube Party* a lot with my friends. It’s like having a virtual movie night with your friends. We all have a lot of spare time these days so you can catch us together on most nights.”

*Netflix Party and Youtube Party are Google Chrome extensions that allow you to sync up your Netflix or Youtube viewing with multiple people. There is a chat function on the side that allows for simultaneous chats as well.

Amanda Nsiah, VP of social media

“Group phone calls are great. I’ve also been playing multiplayer games like Mario Kart. These things have kept me sane.”

Shania Rohr, Associate VP of social media

“I’ve made sure I have a routine and a separate space to work and relax. I find relaxing to be just as important for productivity as working is.”

Needless to say, we are running a marathon, not a sprint. We’re all looking at ways we can communicate that have a positive impact on us and those around us. No one is sure how long this will last, so we’re getting creative and we’re committed to finding better ways to connect.

How are you communicating in quarantine? Are you isolating alone or with others? Let us know below!

Stay safe and keep that social distance!

#quarantine #HPRC #communicatinginquarantine #COVID19