We are now officially in the fourth month of the lockdown imposed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. During this period, there has been a significant change in the way we interact with people. Stuck at home and worried for the safety of our loved ones, we connect eagerly with family members and friends through endless WhatsApp group chats and Zoom calls. We play games, celebrate birthdays and occasions as well as commiserate on collective losses online.
The one thing that has been difficult through the lockdown period is meeting new people and making meaningful connections with them. However, there are a few ways to make new friends or business connections while social distancing norms are in place. Here are the methods you can follow to make meaningful new connections online:
1.TAP INTO YOUR EXISTING NETWORKS
There are many untapped sources where people can connect with others from similar backgrounds or through shared experiences, such as alumni networks and groups from schools, colleges, post-graduation institutions or courses. It is easy to ignore these groups when everyone is busy with their own lives, but now is the time to re-connect with one’s alma mater and the people that studied there. One can also reconnect with old neighbours, friends that one has lost touch with, parents of children’s friends, extended family members, and other such connections where some level of commonality already exists.
2. FORGE CONNECTIONS WITH FB GROUPS
Facebook is the best place for re-discovering old connections that one may have lost along the way. Further, one can connect with new people that have shared interests or belong to similar stations in life, by joining subject-specific groups on Facebook. Parenting groups allow one to find answers to one’s basic child-related queries; food groups enable one to try new recipes; women-only groups are great to make strong female connections, and business groups help boost one’s network. Additionally, many of the more successful groups organise regular online meetings, which further strengthen these connections and friendships.
3. ONLINE COURSES TO LEARN NEW SKILLS
This period where everyone is forced to stay indoors, is the best time to invest in oneself and learn a new skill or brush up existing ones. Since most courses are now conducted online, the participants meet over Zoom calls or other web-specific platforms, and perform the tasks at the comfort of their own time. Yet, often the participants are encouraged to collaborate with each other in order to make the most of the activities from the course, or to help each other with homework. Many of these may even turn into business connections later on, if the courses taken are specific to business interests.
4. FIND AND JOIN HOBBY GROUPS
Sitting at home performing endless household chores can be mind-numbingly boring. A good way to beat the boredom is to pick up an old hobby. For an added push, look for a group that will help you sustain that hobby, such as a book club where everyone meets online to discuss a pre-chosen book once a month, or a writer’s group where you can discuss what you have written. Asking your family and friends for recommendations or putting up a query about such groups on social media, is the easiest way to find them.
5. ATTEND LIVE SESSIONS/WEBINARS
Many enterprising bloggers, influencers, entrepreneurs and professionals are currently hosting free live sessions and webinars on Facebook, Instagram and other social media platforms. Many of these are geared towards specific subjects, and are the best place to connect with other people who share the same or similar views. Tune in to as many sessions as you can, as that will increase the chances of making meaningful connections with new people.
All one really needs is a willingness to explore these options outside of their comfort zones. Making new friends and meaningful business connections online, is undoubtedly the way forward as the world adopts social distancing and work from home norms.
The writer is a lawyer who pens lifestyle articles on her successful blog www.nooranandchawla.com. She can be found on Instagram @nooranandchawla.