The last few months have bought many challenges a lot of us simply never thought we’d have to face, one of the main challenges has been isolation. With limited contact with friends and family, the last few months have been very lonely for a lot of people which has had a detrimental effect on the mental health of many. However, even though we can’t always physically see our friends and family there a number of different ways we can still stay connected thanks to the internet.

What can the internet be used for?

If you’ve never really used the internet before it can be surprising how much you are able to do online, whether it is connecting with friends and family or doing tasks such as shopping, dealing with utilities, contacting local services such as your GP. It is also a great way to enjoy entertainment, such as online games, watch your favourite shows on catch up or even listen to the radio.

Also, you may find that many of your regular activities are now being held online, whether this is exercise games, virtual books clubs or just friendly catchups. Speak to the regular organiser of any local group activities you attend to see if they’re now being hosted online. You can join our fitness coach Steph, for instance, for online classes on our created and set up an Instagram account, on the bottom menu there is an icon that looks like a magnifying glass, once you’ve clicked this you can use the search bar at the top to find photos relating to your interests, for example, #gardening, #cooking #sewing or even #yoga.

Here you can find accounts you’re interested in and follow them, so you’ll see every time they share a new post. You can also start posting your own photos and videos using hashtags.

Play online games with friends

If you’re missing meeting up with friends and playing games, then why not do it online. Even though it’s harder to meet people in person at the moment that doesn’t mean you should stop doing what you enjoy. Online video messaging service Zoom is a great way to talk to your friends and family face to face online while playing some games, whether that’s trivia, bingo, word games or charades. Once you have set up your Zoom account you can invite your friends to talk and play some fun games.

Here are some you should try.

Visit some of your favourite museums – from your sofa!

Why not take a visit to some of your favourite museums from the comfort of your own home, many museums around the UK are offering free online tours of their museums so you can enjoy beautiful art without even leaving your home.

You could also take a look at Google’s art and culture collection, which offers virtual tours of more than 500 popular worldwide attractions, including the Van Gogh museum in Amsterdam, NASA in Washington D.C or Tokyo Nation Museum. Even though there are many restrictions around travelling, that doesn’t mean you should miss out on exploring new areas.

Have a movie night with friends or family

You may not be able to physically watch a movie with your friends or family, but you can virtually. If you have Netflix or Disney Plus you can download the Disney Plus Party or Netflix Party Google Chrome extension, which allows you to watch a movie or show with your friends and family at the same time.

Why not get your favourite food and snacks, you could even enjoy a wine and cheese night and really make a night of it.