If you’re itching to socialize again once the lockdown is over and done, learn how to socialize properly first before you can finally go out.
Yes, we all miss socializing. However, due to the constraints of the necessary lockdown that’s put in place, socializing (or at least, personal socializing) seems like a thing of the past. This doesn’t have to be the case.
No matter how amazing it is to get in touch with the people you love and get to know new people through the powers of social media, nothing beats the joy, thrills, and excitement of socializing in person. That’s why when this lockdown is over, you’re probably itching on socializing again.
While this lockdown will not be in place forever, there are still new ways you can socialize that adheres to the “new normal”. This way, we can satisfy our urge to socialize again while remaining safe and sound.
How To Socialize Again (After The Lockdown)
Let’s take a look at some of the best ways you can socialize again, after the lockdown, that is.
1. Go to the places you’re already familiar with
Nothing beats going to a place you’re familiar with. Since you’ve probably been stuck at home for a few months now, it will be amazing to go to the places you always frequented with your friends before. Not only will you be able to satisfy your cravings for socializing, but you’ll also re-ignite your love for some of the places that you’ve missed.
If there are any places, parks, clubs, bars, etc, that you and your friends used to visit a lot before the lockdown happened, it’ll be great to visit those places again. The familiarity of the place will also help you ease right back into the idea of socializing in a much smoother way. If you place yourself in an unfamiliar place after not going out for months, your optimism towards socializing might not be as high as you intended.
2. Meet your friends first
Once you can finally leave your house safely, go out and see people, it’s better if you see your friends first.
It’s always good to see a familiar face. You’ve also missed your friends a lot since its been a while since you’ve seen each other face to face. So with that, make the effort to see them first. Organize a hang-out or a meetup for all of you. You’ll have an amazing time, finally being with each other again after months of isolation.
Even if you do want to meet new people after the lockdown, still invite your friends to go hangout with you. You still have a chance to meet new people, and it’ll be easier too if your friends are there to back you up. This goes hand-in-hand with the previous point. IF you go to a familiar place, surrounded by familiar people, socializing with new people will be much more comfortable. You need that considering you haven’t been socializing for months already.
3. Play non-contact games
You can always have a lot of fun being surrounded by friends and recreational activity is placed on the table. To up the excitement up a little bit, go to a place where you and your friends can do a little non-contact sport to go along with a night of conversations.
Indoor, non-contact games like pool or board games are always good options. There’s probably a billiard table at your favorite bar anyway, so opt for that. A night of fun and games coupled with great catching-up conversations always makes for an amazing time between friends. It’s probably something you’ve done with them countless times before, so doing it again will also seem a little more familiar.
4. Host a dinner party
If you want to keep things simple and intimate, you can always host a dinner party and invite your friends over. You can also ask them to bring new people if you want to see new faces. If there’s anyone you met online if you were socializing while on lockdown, this will be a good time to meet them.
Prepare some of your best dishes, rack up a couple of bottle of wines (or any spirit of your choice), and just get ready for a night of conversations. That’s the amazing thing about dinner parties. It can be as simple or as extravagant as you want, but the core of the evening will always be the conversations you’ll have with others. Perhaps, that’s the best way to socialize again after being on lockdown for months. Something simple, yet meaningful and intimate.
5. Go to vast, open spaces that aren’t too crowded
If you want to go out after the lockdown, it’s a better idea to see something amazing. For that, go to open spaces. Go to the outdoors. See the wonders of nature. Instead of being cramped up in a crowded room, choose to go to an open space, free of claustrophobia, and take in nature’s beauty.
Invite your friends, and even new people, to go along with you. Seeing the wonders of the world is a good thing to experience after being locked at home for months. Something spacious and free will give you a feeling of freedom and hope, which is exactly what you will need. It’s exactly what we all need.
Go to mountains, beaches, hiking trails, or camping sites. Anywhere you can find that’ll put you right in the middle of nature. That’s a good way of socializing again.
6. Have your friends over or simply go over a friend’s place
Another simple option, if you want to see your friends again but you’re not quite thrilled to go outside, then just do your socializing indoors. Stay at home and invite your friends over. Another option is you can visit your friend at their place.
In essence, it won’t really matter where you are, as long as you’re socializing with people. You’re with your friends again. You’re talking to each other face-to-face again. That’s what really matters here. Even if you’re at the comfort of your own home, or if you’ll visit a friend in their home, you’ll still satisfy your need to socialize again.
7. Join a club to meet new people
This is a perfect option if you want to meet new people after the lockdown. If you want a fun, safe, and exciting way of meeting new people, why don’t you consider joining a club or a group?
Look for a group in your area that’s for a specific craft or field that you enjoy. For example, if you love reading, join a book club. If you’re a musician, join a music club. Travel enthusiasts can opt to join travel clubs. This way, you’ll be able to meet new people and it will be easier to get closer to them since you all already have a common interest.
This is also a good chance to reignite your love for a certain craft, or just get better at it. You’ll know more about your thing and be surrounded by like-minded people. With this, you’re allowing your personal life to grow as well as your social life. You’ll be hitting two birds with one stone.
8. Keep exercising “social distancing”
Even if the lockdown gets lifted and you’re able to go out again, it’s safer advice to still maintain a degree of “social distancing”. That’s why this list is filled with points that steer you to socialize while adhering to the “new normal”. Socializing at home, non-contact games, choosing open spaces over cramped indoors, joining clubs that will place precautions beforehand, etc.
Don’t fret about this. You can totally socialize while maintaining social distancing. It will be the responsible thing moving forward and people will even commend you for it. There are a lot more things you can do to follow this rule without compromising your social life. The important thing is, as I’ve mentioned, is that you’re able to see your friends and the people you care about again, even get the chance to make new friends after all of this.
After all, a lot of people will crave interactions again. If you’re one of those people, you’ll know you’re not alone. Once the lockdown gets lifted, you’ll see how people have missed socializing and a lot of them will be eager to make conversations with new people. That’s where you can come in. You can have conversations and connect with new people too.
Finally, We Can Socialize Again
It has been a while since many of us has gone outside to socialize. We’re all eager to do it again. That’s why once the lockdown gets lifted, take the time to go out and see your friends again. Catch up with everyone you care about. Ask how they’ve been. Even though you’ve probably been chatting online for months, it’s such a different feeling if these conversations are had in person. Make the most of that.
Considering that you haven’t socialized for quite a bit, you may need to brush up on your social skills. For that, before you go out to socialize again, take the time to learn social skills. Get a refresher on social skills, get better at conversations, and overcome any social anxiety. Make sure that you’re actually ready to socialize again once you’re out in the open again.
I hope you’ll have a lot of fun reconnecting with friends !