For most of us, this year means not visiting family and friends over the holidays. Thus, it’s more than ever important to take care of yourself and think about your beloved ones in the distance too. Here are five little things you can (still) do when everything’s closed and there’s no way to travel:
Spending time in nature
Okay this one isn’t new, and we all know that being out in the woods, walking around the lake and enjoying nature can help us to improve our well-being. So, grab your hiking shoes, pack a thermos with coffee and some sandwiches and spend some time outside!
Storytime from space
If you, like me, spend almost all time of the day in a very confined space that’s called your apartment, and you feel that the walls are closing in, try to escape for a little while! Close your eyes and listen to a good audio book. If you need some distance from your apartment, city, and the world, you can even listen to astronauts from the International Space Station reading children’s books all the way from space into your living room.
Write a postcard
I don’t see my family and friends back home very often, and thus I tend to send them postcards from my trips throughout the year. This year, well, there was not much travelling taking place, but I took pictures from my walks and hikes nearby and sent them to my beloved ones as postcards. On PostNord’s website, you can upload your digital pictures, have them converted to a postcard, and send them to family and friends – all around the world and with your personal note attached (and, even better, for less money than the cost of regular stamps). You can of course also consider writing an old-fashioned letter…who doesn’t love to get actual mail, especially in these times?
Online dinner party
We all probably have experienced Zoom fatigue by now, and you might not be looking forward to yet another digital meeting – so make the next one fun! Go on a digital date with your friends, order food and have a good talk in front of your computer with a glass of wine (or your preferred choice of beverage) in your hand! You can also prepare recipes, send them out to your friends and throw a kitchen party where everyone prepares the same recipe! After some delicious food, you can challenge each other with a variety of online games, such as Codenames or digital Escape rooms!
Digital museum tour
Museums are closed all around the world, but if you don’t want to miss out on the exhibitions, you can book a digital tour through a variety of museums. How about spending next Sunday afternoon in the Natural History Museum in London, or finally visiting the Guggenheim in Bilbao? Check out more ideas for your next dose of culture here!
I promised five little pieces of positivity that can help you lighten up the dark, lonely December days during this pandemic. If you can’t get enough, here are some more ideas: write a pandemic journal (and read it 10 years from now to remind yourself about this extraordinary time), support artists (watch their concerts, buy their work, donate your daily coffee budget) or others in need (check out voluntary organisations – they always need a helping hand).
Have a great holiday time!
Blog post by Katharina Herzog
Image by Speedy McVroom from Pixabay
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