Hi everyone and welcome back to my channel.
So as everyone knows in the U S we have been told that now the isolation period
has been extended to April 30th and one of the reasons why is because people are
still not isolating. I heard of,
I think it was in New York that the police busted a karaoke party with adults
and children during the time that they should be isolating. Yes.
A karaoke party. I also see outside, um,
kids and they don't seem to be siblings or cousins that are isolated together
playing outside.
And I'm just so frustrated cause I'm just thinking,
you don't know what,
what these kids are going to have and you're letting your kids play with these
other kids. And that just is a frustrating point for me.
But maybe I'm wrong and everything is okay, but I still,
I think it's great that kids are going outside and playing.
I just don't think that you should be having kids from different households
playing together at this moment. So that's a little frustrating as well.
So people,
the only way that we'll finally be able to start going outside,
started going to the store is not have people panic.
Buying and being able to find things in the store is if we all work together.
Yes, stay home, connect with people online,
but just stay home.
I just don't understand people who are still going out and people who are
thinking like, Oh, nothing's going on.
I did find a new story that I was like good for the parents.
A 51 year old father basically had all of his son's stuff.
I think the son was 21 all of his son's stuff in his car ready to go and when
the son came back from spring break partying with his friends in Texas,
his father told him, you better stop right there. You are not coming in.
Which I applaud that father.
I think he was taking care of his elderly parents and that was another reason he
told his son, no, no, no, get back in the car and go,
you are not coming in this house.
So I really applied that because I think that's one thing.
The younger generation things, Oh everything is great, but you don't know.
And now before I heard there were two strains of this virus and now they're
eight. So you don't know what is going on.
This virus has only been around since November, December.
So young people stay home and also the older generation too.
My dad's going to home Depot,
he's doing everything outside and we have to keep reminding him, stay home.
Like there is no reason for you to go out. Like so that's one thing.
But one of the things that has come out of the social distancing is people are
finding innovative ways to connect with other people.
Just like if you're on Instagram and you've been part of D-Nice club Quarantine.
I actually, you know,
went to yesterday and I thought that was really great.
A lot of music from my childhood and when I was a teenager.
So that's great. And I apologize if you hear that dinging,
but it's my dog making tons of noise in the background.
Every time I get in front of my camera or if I'm creating a podcast for my true
crime podcast, he wants to start moving around.
One of the ways that I use to connect with people, I used to use friend feed,
which was bought by Facebook.
They're the ones that really created the liking that we all do in all these apps
now. And that was great cause I used to, you know,
log in online and I connected with people there and I'm even friends with those,
some of those people years later, it's been about 10 years,
I've been friends with some of them and it was all through this community.
So that was something that I think is coming back because people are isolated
and family members are driving them nuts or whoever they're with.
And so this is a good way to get away from your family members for a second or a
minute or even more and connect with other people.
So here are some of the apps that I've found that are great to connect with your
family,
connect with your friends that are in other places and just find that connection
with them without having to go see them.
My dad tried to come to my house and I was like Papa,
do not attempt to come to my house. I will see you online.
So these are some of the ways that I'm connecting with everyone who is going
stir crazy and we're just having fun and it actually is just great connecting
with my family in more in a way that is more than just messaging some of the
apps that you can use to help you connect with others other than the people in
your household is, you know,
watching some Instagram lives or creating your own Instagram live.
One of the fun ones that I've seen are, you know,
DNice created club quarantine where he DJs and people dance in their house and
other celebrities have also been participating in that.
And then last night I saw that Ne-Yo and John to Austin had a battle,
which I thought was pretty cool. So there are some great things,
some great Instagram lives that people are doing.
I know that also using zoom,
some personal trainers are actually doing exercise routines that people are
joining in and working out because you can't really go to the gyms.
All of them are close so you can work in your house. And I think that's great.
The personal trainers are doing that. I've heard, you know,
so there's some good things as well for children.
Authors are reading children's books.
I've seen people doing like art on there that you can do like a,
you know like the sip and paint. I don't know if you've ever done one of those,
but you can do it within your house.
People are finding creative ways on Instagram live to connect with others.
And I've seen people even saying hi to each other that have been part of them
for a while. And I think that's really cool.
Another great way to connect with others is using Netflix party.
So that's a Google Chrome extension.
So you would connect to your Netflix and then create a party link and then send
it to the people that you want to join the party.
And you all can watch the movie together.
If you use something like a casting tool like I have Chromecast,
you can cast it from your laptop to your TV.
So that's a good way to connect with others and watch a movie because the movie
theaters are closed.
So that's a good way to watch movies with your family and friends.
Or even if you have internet friends,
put the link out there and have them all join in. Also,
the movie theaters have released movies that were in the theaters to your home.
So I've watched onward with my daughter and then I watch bloodshot with my son
and that's a good way to connect.
We made popcorn and watch those movies together.
And then one of the good things about that is that you actually own the movie.
That's also a good way to not feel so isolated and connect with the people
within your home as well.
Another good option is video conferencing with others. Uh,
I have an iPhone and a lot of my family members do as well.
So I've been using the group FaceTime to FaceTime them,
like my nephew and I,
we FaceTime each other and we are now reading a book together,
like online book club.
And we are reading this book because on Apple TV plus they're creating a limited
series about it. And so my sister already read it, so my nephew was like, Hey,
we should read it together. So we rented it from the library,
which the, you know, if you didn't know, check your library,
they usually have audio books and eBooks that you can rent.
And so we rented the audio books from our, you know,
he's in Baltimore and I'm hearing in Fairfax County.
So we rented it from our libraries there.
And so we're reading the book together and then we actually FaceTimed with
everybody in our family and we were like, Hey, we're doing this.
And then my mom started reading the book, she's in Panama.
And so we're all going to read the book together first and then watch the show.
So that's a good way to connect as well. There's also an app called house party.
I haven't used it but I have seen a lot of people talking about it.
So that's a good option as well.
There's Google duo for those who have an Android.
And then one of the things about Google duo is that it actually works with
iPhones as well. So if you have family members who don't use,
who don't have iPhones or who don't all have Androids,
Google Duo as a good option or zoom I talked about in another video about
Microsoft Teams. So that's a good way to connect with your coworkers.
I know it's kinda tough,
but turn on the videos so everybody can connect as well. Um,
my CEO actually talked about ways that we can connect with one another and one
good idea that he had that I want to share with everyone is having video
luncheons with everybody.
So everybody's eating and talking together while they're videoing.
I think that that was actually really good and we use Microsoft Teams,
so that is a great option to connect with your coworkers and make sure that
everyone is okay. Um,
we use the agile scrum methodology and so we meet every morning.
But for those teams that are used to being in the office together,
that is a good option. I mean majority of laptops, I think probably all laptops,
but I'm just going to say majority because there could be one offs that don't,
but they should have videos, the webcam, so use that.
If you are in a sensitive environment,
like you need a clearance to be in that environment,
you might not be able to do video conferencing and please don't because you
don't want to lose your clearance over that. But you can use, you know,
Skype if they don't have Microsoft team yet,
you Skyped to, you know,
talk to one another and just set it up that way.
Even talking on the phone is better than than just emailing or sending text
messages one day sometimes. So try to use that as that of video conferencing.
If you can't have video on, there's also TikTok.
I at first was a little skeptical of TikTok because everybody was super
young.
But more and more I've seen older people getting on there and that's great
because I just see some great videos, um,
more funny type of videos. So it helps forget all the,
the stresses and the things going on around.
I want to thank all the creators who are making us forget about these stressful
times. And just for that one second,
just laugh and dance and exercise.
Just ways to just forget all the things that are going on.
I have high people in high risk groups in my family,
so I am very nervous. I'm anxious.
And so I have on Saturdays decided I am not going to listen to the news.
I'm not going to read the news cause I'm someone who's constantly like reading
the news and stuff. So I've told myself,
Saturdays are the days that I just don't look at the news and that has really
helped. So I'd recommend that. I usually am someone who's like, you know,
you gotta be on top of the news.
But during these situations where you feel helpless,
you don't know what's going on, you're scared, turn off the news,
even if it's once a week because it really will help.
I am sometimes shocked that people don't know what's going on around them and I
think that that's not a good way to be,
but turn it off once a week and just reset because if you listen to the news and
hear what's going on constantly and the news love to always report on the
sensational stuff,
then that's going to stress you out and make you more anxious.
And even if you're someone who suffers from depression,
you're going to get really, really depressed.
So just turn it off once a week just so you can just forget about what's going
on just for that day because then you'll, you're going to go crazy.
Another option is Facebook has, you know Facebook live.
I know LinkedIn now has the LinkedIn live. You have to apply for that.
So I am definitely going to apply.
I know I've seen other people start doing it,
so that's a good way I'm start taking educational core classes.
I know that their skill share, LinkedIn learning,
another good thing that you should be doing is try to support your community
depending on where you are, your health systems are being hit.
So, you know, donate that. I know my um,
our hospital system here, they've asked if people can donate food. Um,
they've already created like an emergency fund so that those are good ways to
help. I know, um, my college was just local. Um,
they've actually started a fund as well and I think they said about 600 students
have already signed up to try to get some assistance.
So you have to remember people, people are losing their jobs.
So if you can help in that way,
that is another way that you can help while you are at home.
So all of this should be social distancing. Believe me,
I know it's tough having to be in the house all day,
but one way that you can combat that is going on a walk with your family and
friends if you all live in the same household.
I walk the dogs every morning and I've been walking them longer now.
And if I do see someone coming the opposite side,
I usually go inside the grassy area.
If I'm coming the opposite side, I'll go on the street. If a car is not coming,
if I do is see a car coming,
then I'll go to the grassy area and wait for them to pass by.
And then I keep walking.
But that has really helped to stop feeling like I'm just stuck in the house.
Now that the weather is getting nicer, I can now go to my deck.
I know if you live in an apartment and you don't have a deck area,
like when I lived in my condo, I didn't have a deck area,
so I know that that would be pretty tough. But try to go, you know,
walk the dog.
So go for a walk during off times that people aren't really outside.
So I have told my kids that if they're going to walk the dog,
walk her around 1:00 PM 2:00 PM because when we try to walk the dog at 4:00 PM
to 5:00 PM there were tons of people outside.
So now we walk them during times that people aren't usually outside.
And my last tip is start creating.
Start working on projects,
things around the house or just things that you've always been passionate about
but you never had time to do. Just start doing it now.
I mean we're stuck in the house.
You w you're not going to work at your nine to five, 24,
seven. So you need time to fill it other than just watching TV.
So learn a new skill. Um,
started creating videos, start creating blog posts,
create a podcast,
do something that will help you forget that things are scary out there and
you're going stir crazy in the house.
You don't want to constantly keep thinking about that.
You gotta keep yourself busy.
So this is a good way for me to keep busy is continue to make videos,
continue improving on making videos. Cause I don't think I'm there yet,
but I think I am improving.
You all can tell me in the comments if you feel the same way. Um,
my true crime podcasts I created last year,
that has been my passion project and that has helped me a lot.
It has helped me connect with people on Instagram, Facebook and tick talk.
So I just think that that is a good way to do it. You know,
to start creating. If you wanted to start a high side hustle,
create a side hustle, this is the time to do it.
And every one thing I will say that I am really happy about is just seeing that
humans are so resilient.
People are learning how to deal,
not everyone because like I said,
there's some people out there who are still partying and connect and trying to
be together.
But I'm talking about the people who are practicing social distancing and
they're stuck in the house and they're learning how to deal with this.
So I just find that very inspiring.
I think it's also great the people who are helping others.
And I just hope that after they create a vaccine,
they flatten the curve.
I just hope that people remember this and continue connecting with others,
helping others, and just realizing that we're in this together.
We are not on this earth alone,
so we have to connect with people and we can't just think about ourselves.
We will get through this if all of us work together to flatten the curve of this
virus. I'm terrified of it,
especially now that I found out that there's eight different strains and it
seems like healthy people are actually dying.
So just stay home and use these great ways to connect with others without
leaving your home. So please connect with me.
I will have the links below to my social media account so we can start talking
and let me know in the comments the ways that you are connecting with others
without leaving your home.
I would love to hear of other ways to connect with others cause I love talking
to people. Please subscribe to my channel.
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Bye.