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5 Self-Care Group Activities You Can Do Virtually (That Aren’t Another Happy Hour)

We’re all seeking out some sense of normal right now and for lots of us that means keeping up with our besties remotely. But if the idea of yet another Happy Hour is kind of making you cringe, mix it up with one of these self-care group activities you can do virtually—anywhere, anytime.

woman doing yoga in living room
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1. Lead A Virtual Yoga Class

Who says workouts have to be so serious? You could get your friends together on Zoom and screen share a professional video to flow along to. Or you could put those several years of on-and-off Vinyasa classes to good use and lead the class yourself. Think of it as a fun, funny way to get moving together at your own pace (with as many breaks to chitchat as you want). Make it a weekly thing and take turns leading whatever workouts you’re all into.

olay skincare routine virtual self care group activities
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2. Share Your Beauty Routines On Video Chat

Because you’ve been taking self-isolation as a time to up the ante on your skincare routine, we think it’s high time you share it with the class. Grab your favorite Olay products—for us, that would be the ones in Olay DIY Spa Skincare Set—and show off your skills to a few friends. Then next week, have someone else teach their favorite ritual. Here, a few presentation notes for you:

  • First up, the Daily Facials Water-Activated Dry Cloths: Formulated with Vitamin B3, they exfoliate, hydrate, cleanse and tone.
  • Then, the Fresh Reset Clay Stick Mask: Easy to use and clears clogged surface cells without any of the mess clay masks normally make.
  • Third, the Refreshing Face Serum Stick: Formulated with Vitamin B3 (yep, it’s the hero ingredient of the entire line) and Sake Kasu, it leaves your skin hydrated and instantly refreshed.
  • And finally, the Retinol24 Night Moisturizer: A retinoid complex and Vitamin B3 hydrate skin for a full 24 hours while helping to fight visible dryness.
woman on ipad in kitchen
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3. Start A Healthy Recipe Swap

You might be a little sick of breads and baked goods right about now—and that’s okay, we are too. Carb-loading is only satisfying for so long. Skip the sourdough and start up an email chain sharing healthy recipes with your friends. Send the request to five people, then have each of them send it to five more. Here’s some sample phrasing to kick it off:

“Please send a recipe to the person whose name is in position #1 (even if you don't know them). It should be something healthy, easy and without rare ingredients. After you've sent your recipe to the person in position #1 (and only to that person), copy this email into a new email, move my name to the top and put your name in position #2. Only my and your name should show when you send your email. Send to five friends via BCC.”

woman laying on couch using phone
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4. Play A Board Game, Digitally

If one of the things you miss most is your monthly game night, keep the spirit alive by downloading the app version of your favorite game—like Scrabble GO—then have your crew do the same. Once you’ve all got it downloaded and have added each other as friends, you can proceed to crush it with your impeccable vocabulary in like usual. Make it even more fun by video chatting while you play.

woman watching tv show on computer
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5. Watch A Show Together On Netflix Party

No more counting down to try and hit the “play” button at the exact same time. Instead, just install this web browser extension, which syncs up video playback for and adds a group chat to your favorite Netflix shows. We all know that bingeing is the ultimate form of self-care (just us?) and this extension adds the missing social element back in. FYI: You have to have the Google Chrome browser and it only works on laptops and desktops.


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Director, Branded Content

Cristina Polchinski is a director of branded content at Gallery Media Group. She produces sponsored content campaigns across all verticals and platforms, in addition to...