Times right now are crazy, to say the least. We have never seen anything like this - all restaurants, bars, gyms, and so many stores are closed for business - either by choice or by the local governments ordering them to be closed.
If you are like us, we have been asked to “social distance” ourselves from everyone. We have been asked to work from home for the foreseeable future. What that means is that we are stuck inside all. day. long. No gym, no in person human interaction other than ourselves, no happy hours, no meet ups.
Because of all of that, we’ve put together a list of ways we are trying to beat the “cooped-up” feeling.
1. Take Walk Breaks
We are all outdoors people right? We here at Team Be Outdoors are not under a city-mandated lock down, and really are hoping it does not get to that point. Our day jobs have asked us to work from home to support the “social distancing” act, so we told ourselves that we will get outdoors at least once a day, twice if the weather is nice. We take a walk on our lunch break and then eat as we work when we get back. It helps break up the day and it gives us some fresh air!
2. Eat Lunch and Dinner Outdoors
If you have a deck or patio, now is the best time to use it! We don’t have a full deck furniture set up - read, no deck table appropriate for meals outdoors - but we have eaten lunches and dinners outdoors multiple times over the past week. We are comfortable holding our plates in our laps and eating with no table in front of us, so it works for us! Also, on one of our many walks this week, we’ve seen couples sitting in the park having a makeshift picnic. We LOVED seeing this and loved the idea if you don’t have a deck or patio.
3. Hit the Local Trails
We live about 30 minutes away from some really cool trails in the foothills of Colorado and an hour from nice mountain trails. There are so many trail choices, that we feel confident that if we hit a trail, that we will not be endangering ourselves or others by getting into too close of a proximity of others. If you have trails nearby, we highly recommend getting out and getting some exercise in the fresh air!
4. Sit Near an Open Window
This sounds so simple, and it is. Opening up the shades and blinds of your windows and getting some natural light into your house or apartment is game changing on your overall mental state. We typically leave our blinds closed all day, but with having to be cooped up, we’ve been opening them up to let in natural light. Instant mood booster!
5. Go for a Drive
Not into hiking or walking or physical activity outdoors, but still feel like you need out of the house? Fill up your gas tank (gas is cheap right now!), pack a lunch and some snacks, and hit the road! Now is the time to check out areas you’ve never been to before but have always wanted to. Yes, the restaurants, bars, and shops might be closed in the area you head to, but you will still get a good sense of what the town or city is like. Then you can plan a return trip with more knowledge of the area once the “social distancing” limitations are lifted.
Stay safe and healthy out there!