Here are some things you can do this weekend that don’t involve screen time to better your mood and lower your stress levels.

Do Gentle Movement In Nature

If you don’t feel up for a hard workout in nature, you can still experience mindblowing benefits from gentle exercise outside. We’re talking better mood, lower stress levels and increased positivity. You can:

• Go for a walk at sunrise.
• Go for a walk at sunset.
• Go for a walk at lunchtime and call your mum, your dad or your girlfriends.
• Go for a night time walk (don’t forget your headtorch and your buddy, for safety!)
• Go for an ocean swim.
• Do some yoga, stretching and meditation in nature.

Do A Trek Training Workout In Nature

High intensity exercise has incredible benefits for our mental and physical health. Moving our bodies helps to reduce the risk of chronic disease, improve sleep, lower blood pressure, boost mood and reduce stress.

We’re still allowed to leave the house for a handful of reasons and one of those reasons is exercise. Why? Because it’s so important for our health, especially if it’s in nature. To avoid getting sucked into that virtual vortex, lace up your shoes and head outside to huff, puff and move heavy things. Your body will thank you for it!

You can:

• Walk fast along adulating terrain (get that heart rate up!)
• Do soft sand sets.
• Hike up stairs.
• Do a pushup challenge outside.
• Walk up a super steep hill.
• Scramble over rocks.
• Do bodyweight exercises like squats, pushups, lunges and tricep dips.
• Put on your pack for all of the above for an added strength challenge.

Do Something That Gets You In Flow

Now is the perfect time to get into flow. There are so many weird and wonderful ways to do this, with whatever you have around the house. Instead of scrolling on social media looking for inspiration, you can:

• Pull out all your old hiking gear and clean it, reorganise it and pack it away!
• Do some scrapbooking or make a photo album of your favourite trips or adventure photos
• Test out new recipes
• Modify old recipes
• Waterproof your boots
• Waterproof your raincoat
• Darn or fix any holes in your down jacket

Do Something With Your Family

If you live with your family, the chances are you’re spending a lot more time together. And as much as that has its challenges (especially if you’re a parent of school-aged children), it also has some incredible benefits. Now is the time for us all to make memories. To play, to laugh, to tell stories, and make the most of each other’s company.

Instead of sitting down to a movie or isolating with your screens, why not try these things to keep you and your family occupied:

• Go on a walk or bike ride together.
• Set up camping in the backyard or living room.
• Riffle through old adventure photos and tell your kids stories about your adventures.
• Cook a nutritious meal together… try this recipe!
• Bake our Wild Women Cookies.
• Discover new, secret trails and green spaces in your neighbourhood.
• Go for a walk to watch the sunset.
• Dance it out in the living room or backyard.

Do Something For You

The 24-hour news cycle, panicked headlines, and cluttered Facebook feeds can leave us all feeling a little flustered and stressed, even anxious. It’s more important than ever to take some time to care for ourselves. While stepping away from the rush of the news can be a good start, there are other things you can do for your own self-care:

• Go for a walk
• Do a strength workout
• Have a bath
• Do a facemask
• Sit on your balcony with a cuppa tea and a good book
• Stretch
• Listen to a podcast
• Cook a nice meal
• Listen to your favourite album and sing along to the best song
• Do some journaling
• Go for another walk

Do Something For Others

• Bake something and drop it at a friend’s place
• Call a friend who’s self isolating alone
• Write a letter to your family
• Write a letter to nurses and frontline health care workers
• Give someone in your household a massage
• Encourage a friend who might need some company or movement to go for a walk with you

There are hundreds of things you can do to stay off your screens this weekend, but we hope we’ve given you a bit of inspiration to get you started.