Outdoors Distractions & Attractions for a Stressful Week Ahead
Need some help keeping your vibe right during Election Week? Here are some outdoors related tips for shaking out the nerves, keeping your calm, and making yourself useful
Well here we are. It’s Election Week, and aside from actually voting and some last minute canvasing, there’s not a lot that any of us can do besides wait.
So first, I want to do my due diligence and nudge those of you who haven’t yet voted to head to the polls or pull out your at-home and cast your vote. Take some time to read research for local elections too, and take seriously those positions like “Soil & Water Conservation District Board Members.” Those are agencies are doing important conservation and partnership work that have an impact on the quality of life in your region, even if you haven’t heard about them. Better late than never to find out more about how local conservation programs work!
Now just in case you need a bit of help on the presidential election…here’s a NYT gift link to the environmental policy differences between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump.
And if you’d like more details on the differences, this article (gift link) from the NYT dives more deeply into Trump’s aggressively anti-environmental plans, which incidentally, includes intentions to stop future leaders from reversing their disastrous consequences.
Still need more help deciding? I’m a fan of environmental scientist Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, who just started a Substack & podcast to correspond with her new environmental book What If We Get It Right? I recommend listening to her latest episode on political policies and oceans, published just today:
Okay, now that you have voted (or worried a bit more after doing that bit of extra research), let’s find some ways to distract ourselves in the outdoors while we wait for the moment, whenever it comes, that we find out the results of the elections.
Below are 20+ ideas for calming your nerves, shaking out the twitchiness, and making yourself useful in an enjoyable way.
Need to Zen out? Try These Ideas
Go for a long outdoors walk. Maybe pick a new neighborhood to do it in.
Go on a walk that focuses on your favorite fall color and document what you find in photo form.
Go out and collect fall leaves. Try to find a leaf for every color. Sort them into patterns on your table when you get home.
Rank your favorite neighborhood trees instead of your city council candidates.
Go to a wetland or a park and go birding. Take your binoculars and your camera.
Take children to a park. Let them get muddy. Watch them play.
Take a walk in the woods.
Take a child on a muddy trail. Everyone wear galoshes and see who can make the biggest mud puddle splashes.
Seek a bit of animal therapy in a farm or visit to the humane society, or to a friends house with a cuddle pet.
Go on a drive somewhere peaceful with nice views.
Go somewhere - anywhere - that doesn’t have the internet.
Do you need a jolt to your system to help those stressed nerves? Try these ideas to get your energy pumping
Go outside without an umbrella while its raining.
Go for a run or very brisk walk. Or bike ride. Get that blood pumping.
Listen to some upbeat dance music on your walk.
Go on a walk in the dark.
Turn the soil in your garden.
Play catch with your child.
Play basketball with a friend.
Do a strenuous hike.
Try a cold plunge.
Do you feel better when you feel useful? Try these ideas
Test fall harvest recipes for the holidays.
Start planning your next camping trip or vacation.
Plant bulbs for next spring.
Plan out next year’s garden.
Do yard work.
And if nothing else works, why not explore the ideas at the end of this article (gift link) for befriending crows in case you accidentally piss one off. They really like to hold a grudge.
