Take a look at yourself in the mirror. When’s the last time you went outside? Your veins are just a little too visible through your translucent skin, and you may or may not have the uncanny resemblance of Dracula. You’ve been (voluntarily) cooped up inside your cool, air-conditioned house glued to your computer screen for the entirety of summer that you’ve forgotten what it feels like to feel the warmth of the sun. But no more of that. It’s going to be scary. It’s going to hurt. You might even lose your vision for a bit, but you have to do it: you have to go outside. Face your fears, Highlanders. Here are two ways to reconnect with nature for those in dire need of some digital detox.
Walk around
Pretty easy and self-explanatory. You’re probably used to walking no more than 50 steps a day in your house, but that’s going to change starting now. You don’t need a fancy Adidas workout fit for this, so stop dilly-dallying and get out there. All you need are two working legs, so go open that door and face the outside world.
There’s nothing like taking a quick stroll with the warm summer breeze in your face. Sure, the sun might be blinding for the first minute or so, but your eyes will soon adjust, and you’ll get to see what you’ve been missing out on for the past month. Take a good look around your surroundings. You might see the neighborhood kids playing in a mini inflatable pool in their backyard. There’s an older couple resting outside under the shade of some trees. A family is playing fetch with their golden retriever. Take advantage of the weather because sometimes, it’s the simple things that matter.
There’s no harm in listening to music on your phone if walking in silence isn’t for you. In fact, if there’s something that motivates you to go out, then go for it! Some mobile app games like Pikmin and Pokémon GO can be perfect for you to play while walking around. Just make sure to be aware of your surroundings and look both ways before crossing!
Keep an indoor plant
Maybe going outside is a little too ambitious for now but you still miss the feeling of being outdoors and seeing some greenery, and listening to nature ASMR just doesn’t really cut it. If this is you, consider taking care of a beginner-friendly indoor plant. Only do this if you’re fully confident that you’ll take care of it, though! You don’t want to accidentally kill off a plant due to your negligence.
Do your research before committing to an indoor plant, as taking care of one requires a lot more attention than you might think. Some things to consider is how much sunlight your window allows and how big the plant will grow up to. Research carefully, commit to the bit and you’ll soon see the positive effects of taking care of indoor plants will have on you. Studies show that having indoor plants help with the air purification inside your home and can even help with your mental health.
Even if you’ve been too busy with your internship or you’ve committed to doomscrolling 24/7 for this summer, try and maintain a healthy lifestyle. More and more people tend to stay inside thanks to work overload or because Marvel Rivals is worth some Vitamin C deficiency. Jokes about touching grass aren’t jokes anymore. Please, go touch some grass.
