Simple ways to pamper your friends this circuit breaker

Growing tired of lying around the house all day, my friends and I decided to conduct our very own “secret Santa in May” project to brighten the mood.

Each of us was given an ‘elf’ to take care of, surprise, or encourage for a week. Based on their wish-list, we could send them messages, special gifts, or their favourite food and drinks.

As someone who loves to give, I was thrilled at the chance to spoil my friends, and the anonymity of our Secret Santa’s identity made it all the more exciting.

Here are four ways to surprise your friends during this emotionally taxing circuit breaker!

Thanks to endless food delivery services like GrabFood, Foodpanda, Deliveroo and many more, feeding your loved ones has never been easier.

And with various F&B outlets now offering food delivery services, including hawker stalls and bubble tea, my friends spared no effort in filling each other’s stomachs with delicious eats.

I sent my elf two bubble tea drinks from LiHO Tea, which she shared with her sister. Then I splurged a little more on her by sending her favourite food, cheese, in the form of Pizza Hut’s eight-piece Garlic Mozzarella Pops.

She was overjoyed, to say the least, and even posted her thanks on her Instagram story. I even satisfied her sister’s bubble tea craving that day by coincidence!

If your friend is not much of a foodie, how about surprising them with gifts? You could customise a (comic) book for them or order cute stuffed toys and deliver it to their home!

And if they are in need of some R&R, send them a care package! Fill it with self-care items, like scented candles or face masks to pamper them, and maybe add some snacks too.

Although we cannot go out and shop for the time being, there are various online websites such as Qoo10, Shopee, Lazada, Amazon and more that await your patronising.

It is also a good way to justify an online shopping spree right now… just saying.

Spreading love and showing support does not always have to be with fancy presents.

With so many messaging and video calling apps, there are plenty of ways for you to connect with your friends during this circuit breaker.

During this emotionally taxing period, it is important to check if our friends and family are coping mentally as well. Just dropping them a text asking about their day can improve their mood tenfold.

When I searched “circuit breaker sg” on Spotify, I certainly did not expect any songs, let alone three playlists and nine podcasts to pop up.

If you have about four hours on your hands to spare, take a listen to Catherine Koh’s “COVID19-Circuit Breaker SG” playlist, which covers everything from Fifth Harmony’s “Work From Home” to Jay Chou’s “世界末日”.

And if you’re up to it, why not rope in your friends to make a Spotify playlist together!

Bond with your friends as you share your music tastes with one another to piece this playlist together. You might even discover a new favourite song.

Even if you and your friends live on opposite ends of Singapore, you can still connect with one another to show your care and support in countless ways.

Who knows, these simple acts of love could add some excitement into your mundane everyday routine.