Do you feel separated from your loved ones? This could be because they live far away or it might be because you both have incredibly busy schedules. Regardless of the situation and the reason, it’s important to make sure that you are taking the right steps here to improve things. In doing so, you can strengthen your family ties and feel far more connected than before.
Social Media
First, you should make sure that you are exploring different options when it comes to social media. With social media you can share instant updates on your thoughts, feelings or even what’s happening in your life. It’s a great way to ensure that family or friends still feel connected to your life even when you are far away from home. Elderly individuals can also keep up with their relatives and friends on social media and ensure that they are constantly away from key changes in their life, from engagements to pregnancies and everything in between.
Shared Projects
Another way to stay connected with your loved ones is to set up shared projects that you can engage in together throughout the week or month. You can work on long or short term projects and gain an incredible sense of accomplishment once you are finished.
There are lots of different types of shared projects that you could explore here. For instance, you might want to write a book together or help an elderly relative put their memoirs down on paper. These are just a couple of the options that you may want to explore if you have some free time available.
Tech
Tech is perhaps the best tool if you want to make sure that you are staying connected with your loved ones in the future. For instance, you can use Google tech to set up video calls together. The brilliant advantage of using these devices is that you don’t have to worry about a person answering the phone. Instead, you can set it up so you are able to drop in on them whenever they are available. As such, you will feel like you can constantly reach your loved ones for a chat or for a life update.
Tech Free Times
While tech can be useful for helping you stay connected with your loved ones, it can also block real connections that you want to achieve now and in the future. That’s why you should make sure that you are thinking about setting up some tech-free times for you and your loved ones to share together. Tech free time is important because it means that you can connect with people on a deeper level without the constant distraction of technology. Remember, this doesn’t need to be a massive amount of time. Even a couple of hours without tech could create a real impact here.
Cook Together
You could also think about cooking together. You can do this remotely, following the same recipes online while on video call, or in person, sharing the kitchen to cook some delicious, wonderful treats with one another. If you are interested in cooking together, then we recommend that you do think about the limitations of your loved one. For instance, you could be trying to connect with someone with dementia through cooking. While this is a great possibility, it’s important that you keep them out of harm’s way. That doesn’t mean that they can’t still have fun though!
Send Letters
Although we have generally focused on technology, you could also think about connecting with your loved ones through some old-school possibilities such as sending letters. By sending letters out to your loved ones, you can provide a more personal touch. It can also be quite exciting to wait for a response back. You can write as much or as little as you like in a letter, similar to how you would send an email. The elderly generation in particular will appreciate letter sending as a way to keep connected because it will remind them of how things used to be. Sending letters can also be a romantic way to stay in touch with partners who may be half a world away.
Send Care Packages
Similar to sending letters, you could also think about sending care packages to your loved ones. This is a great way to show that you care and how much they mean to you. You can create care packages filled with everything that they need for a great weekend alone or a care package that helps them remember all the fun you have had together in the past. There are also companies online that can help you put together the ultimate care packages for your loved ones.
Travel Together
Of course, if your budget is limited then you can also travel together virtually. For instance, you might want to watch travel videos together online virtually. Or, alternatively, you could think about planning a trip for the two of you to enjoy. This doesn’t need to cover a great distance. Instead, it could be about exploring things that are just a stone throw away from your backyard. Ultimately, it’s about creating plans that you are all going to enjoy and that will provide a new adventure or even a chance to relax together.
Video Games
Finally, we’ve mentioned technology however it’s worth zeroing in on video games specifically. With video games, you can connect to people in your life like never before, solving puzzles and going on adventures together, all without ever needing to leave your sofa. This is a great option for dads who are separated from their kids or children who want to make sure that they stay connected with their grandparents. There is a massive variety of video games so you can always find an option to suit individual preferences.
We hope this helps you understand some of the key steps that you should take to guarantee that you feel more connected to your loved ones in the future.