As I write this, it’s now approximately our 3rd month here of COVID-19 pandemic times in the New Jersey-New York City area. Our lifestyles have changed significantly since social distancing became part of the “new normal” in the last few months. Memorial Day has recently come and gone marking the unofficial start of summer. Summertime is typically when we gravitate towards the outdoors, take vacations elsewhere, and enjoy a change in scenery and a slower pace. I wanted to figure out what is the best way to instill these summertime vibes into life during the pandemic when outdoor activities are still a bit precarious, traveling seems a little unrealistic, and a change of scenery or pace may not be possible for some.

How are you going to spend your summer during a time when the impact of COVID-19 is still very real?

Is it just me or does the change of season in the midst of all of this make all the weirdness of this seem even weirder? I still feel the uncertainty and tentativeness around reopening schedules and adjustments being made on a weekly basis.

When things feel uncertain, I look to ways I can ground myself. One such way has been by looking at the recommendations from others on how to safely enjoy activities whether they’re outdoors or indoors. Luckily I have just the thing to look to in this great blog article written by a colleague Julie Singh, founder of TripOutside.com.

Julie wrote this exactly 2 months ago in March when lockdown orders were spreading throughout the world. Julie and her husband, Rheet, are avid outdoor enthusiasts and travelers, These pandemic-related lockdowns obviously changed the scope of their day to day lives maybe even more so than it did mine. How do two people whose lives revolve around a “Trip Outside” sustain themselves when we’re told to “stay INSIDE”?

Well, Julie went about sharing some ideas in her article, “10 Ways to Stay Sane and Active While Social Distancing”. If you haven’t already tried one or some of these activities during the pandemic, what are you waiting for!

Ways to Enjoy Activities Safely during Social Distancing

Below is a visual summary of some tips for activities broken up into two general categories. One set of activities primarily targeting your physical health and one set of activities for your mental and/or emotional health.

How I’m Currently Staying Sane and Active During the Pandemic

To add a personal twist on these suggestions by Julie, I’ll include some examples of things I’ve been doing and just began doing.

Things I’ve been Doing (And Will Keep doing):

• Meditating at least 10 minutes daily no matter what.

• Journaling and including a daily gratitude practice (E.g. Listing at least 3 things I’m grateful for)

• Cooking and trying new recipes (Recommendation: Bon Appetit Test Kitchen YouTube Channel!)

• Listening to podcasts (Recommendations: The Happiness Lab, How To! With Charles Duhigg, and Heavyweight.

things i recently started:

• Duolingo: Korean language learning

• Marathon training: Target date: September 2020

• Gardening: Just started my own plot in the community garden plot!

• Baking

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We’ll Continue Moving Through This Together

While these are some strange times, I still believe it’s important and possible to enjoy our lives. It just requires some more flexibility, creativity, and patience. You may be super over quarantine-times and itching to get “back to normal”. I don’t blame you and I’m right there with ya…

In order to make the most of what you do have, you can apply these activities and tips to improve your physical, mental and emotional well-being.

What are some ways you plan to spend the upcoming days of summer?