11 Little Ways To Be More Affectionate With Your Friends And Loved Ones From Afar

Even with distance, separation, and quarantine, there are so many ways to show love.

Due to coronavirus, millions of us are currently stuck at home, unable to see family and friends in order to do our part to stop the spread. So we asked the BuzzFeed Community to tell us how they've been showing love and care to loved ones from afar. Here are the sweet results:

1. Send a care package filled with their favorite things, items they might need, or thoughtful things that remind you of them. Or arrange to have their favorite food delivered!

Cratejoy

"I live far from home so I do my best to keep in touch with my 99-year-old grandpa by sending him photos. He's very old school, and doesn't have internet or a cell phone. He can't hear well so conversations over the phone are hard. So I send him like 30 photos off my camera roll and write a note behind each one explaining what's going on. It's how he communicated with his siblings in Japan so I do the same with him. My aunty (his eldest daughter) told me he loves them too because they're of places he's never been to, especially when I sent him pictures of Sequoia National Park."—jumpinjellyfeesh

"This wasn't me (I guess I'm not as nice) but my friend sent her long-distance partner some donuts from his favorite bakery as a nice surprise!" —Emma McAnaw

2. Virtually cook or do other activities together! Video-call them and "have dinner" or an afternoon coffee together or watch a movie at the same time. Quarantine doesn't mean you have to completely stop doing fun things with your friends and fam! It just means working around the restrictions.

Madhouse

"My friends and I had virtual coffee together this morning which was a great way to see their faces and start the day!"—Emma McAnaw

"Find a new recipe that you both want to try and make it 'together.' Maybe even while on FaceTime!"—shelbyb24

"Handwritten letters and Skype brunches. Whether it's love or friendship, the two together are a sign of love."—amtunit

3. Send snail mail! Going old-style and sending cards and handwritten letters in a digital age are a great way to make their day.

Warner Bros.

"Sending my sister a surprise card because she lives in Los Angeles and I can't visit her right now."—Genevieve Scarano

"Make homemade cards for people! They can be silly or heartfelt and depending on how much effort you put in, can really suck up some time and boredom :)" —louisalollipop

"I just sent a stack of St. Patty’s day cards at the end of last week and don’t worry, I have a stack of Easter cards ready to go out too!"—salamandersorcurer

"Sending postcards or packages."—nellao

4. Do school projects together and keep school clubs going despite the distance. It helps classmates stay connected.

Sincerely Media/Unsplash

"I’ve been missing my classmates since my university shut down but working on a project together has been a pretty good way to connect. It was a project we had to do for school anyway, but it forces us to keep in touch, keep busy, and do something we’re proud of. The fact that we took it on for fun to begin with makes it even more special. Our various group chats give us space to do this, space to rant, send memes or cat videos as needed too, which I also recommend."—thatgirla

"All of us in my school are going to FaceTime tomorrow and join a virtual choir so we can sing together again."—camerasapprentice

5. Try gaming together, even if you're not into it. Games help you bond and improve teamwork! And it doesn't just have to be video games — try digital puzzles, crossword competitions, anything to get your competitive streak going and have some fun. You can get the whole fam involved too.

Nickelodeon Animation Studio

"We like to play cornhole in my family; so we set up a group video call and play long-distance cornhole!"—saradelossantos

"Me and my boyfriend have been FaceTiming more lately, gaming together, and sending each other more memes. It may suck that we can't see each other but I know in the long run he will be safer and when we do see each other again, it will be more passionate."—j482e58123

"Playing video games together is a really good way for me and my friends to talk and still do things together.—andreal4cdf2228b

"I’m not super into video games but my boyfriend loves them. There’s this one video game I super love and we both bought it and have been playing it together online."—hells_bells

"My boyfriend and I play a multiplayer game where it’s just the two of us while talking over something like Discord."—felicityhochhalter

6. Reach out to a relative you haven't talked to for a while and keep 'em company, or reconnect with an old friend. It keeps things fresh!

MTV

"Text someone you don’t normally text each day. Did this with my grandmother when she had a knee surgery and she later told me that it was the main thing that got her through it."—mk2264

7. Give to people in need! Donate to your fave organizations, send letters and drawings to hospital patients and nursing homes, sew clothes and blankets for clothing drives, and more.

buzzfeed.com

"I’ve been having my toddler color pictures to send to our local nursing home since they can’t have visitors right now (I called ahead, and they said it was okay). All my grandparents are gone, so it feels good to have some elders to love on right now."—amyk453e68492

8. Go with the classic: Video calls! Whether you're doing a single one or a group one, they're perfect for lessening loneliness because you're actually seeing the other person.

BT21

I’ve been video calling friends while we work from home together just to have some company. Also lots of group texts to check in on friends, family, and coworkers."—angelync

"My friends all got Airtime and Houseparty, basically apps where you can group FaceTime. We just go on them like half the day and just spend time together, it’s really helpful."—katiedambrogio

"Me and my friends have drunk FaceTimed a bunch. Not necessarily recommended but that’s what we’ve done!"—joyr495294760

9. Send funny memes and posts regularly. Anything that reminds you of them, whatever you think will make them laugh or smile — there's countless ridiculous memes out there and sending something every now and then will reassure them you haven't forgotten them!

BigHit Entertainment

"I send people dog posts or animal posts in general, like if I know you like a certain animal, then I'm probably gonna send you random posts about that animal at least once a day lol."—Jasmin Suknanan

"Sending funny tweets/posts/memes to make people laugh and let them know I’m thinking of them."—angelync

10. Simply check in. Checking in at least once or twice a day with a friend or loved one allows a sense of routine and normalcy, even when nothing else feels that way.

Simon Ritzmann / Getty Images

"My boyfriend and I like to text each other good night or good morning every day to kinda put each other at peace." —Sarah Lee, BuzzFeed Staff

11. And actually call instead of texting all the time! It's a good way to feel closer to the person because you're hearing their voice in real time. Also, nothing beats real human interaction — not even screens.

Woods Entertainment

"Remember the old-fashioned phone? When you are 'sheltered in place,' it's nice to hear a voice. Any voice. I have started answering telemarketing calls just to ask them how they are and tell them to have a nice day."—mcmindes

"Even before the coronavirus, I have always been big on picking up the phone with my family and friends. Some love it, some are stuck to their texting-only ways. This week though, I have noticed now that even the ones that rarely pick up or talk long are calling me just to chat. So I've been making sure to call all family and friends throughout the day as often as I can while we are all stuck at home and send emails to coworkers just to make sure they are okay."—veronikam2

I've been quarantined for about two months now and on hard days, calling my friends has honestly been what's keeping me going."—andreal4cdf2228b

"[My boyfriend and I] will talk on the phone about dumb stuff while I walk my dog. With friends, we FaceTime over LINE and send each other memes, encourage each other to do what we can during self isolation that makes us feel better, like cleaning, singing, etc."—felicityhochhalter

"Just a simple message to check up on them or even ask them about their time. This is especially if they live alone or with very few people. Sometimes it's nice to also FaceTime if you can."—wethuaqm

Submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.

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