by Henry Gould – Nov 18th, 2020

It’s halfway through November 2020 and the combination of a relentless global pandemic, coupled with increasingly dark and cold weather is… well… a little much TBH!

Some days are going to feel downright shitty, and that’s to be expected. Instead of letting them push you around, follow a game-plan to take action and nip those days in the bud before they can become overbearing.

Below are some simple ideas to turn a bad day into a better one, all of which don’t involve probably-not-good-for-you “chemical crutches”.

• Turn your phone off. No, really, turn it off. 

  • Don’t just put it facedown on the couch next to you, turn it off and put it in a drawer. Go for a walk, have dinner, workout, get groceries, but leave the phone at home.
  • It’s hard, there’s a million excuses for not doing it, but just try. You will notice an immediate difference.
  • The research is overwhelming that overdependence on our smart phones – as well as social media – are making is miserable.
  • If you’re at home, turn the phone off and instead try…

• Reading A Book

  • Let’s be honest, you’ve probably got a copy of “Where The Crawdads Sing” on your nightstand which your friend gave you and you haven’t even started it yet.
  • The benefits of reading are endless, not least of which is allowing the brain a chance to function in a completely different capacity than texting or mindlessly scrolling Instagram.
  • Reading increases memory, knowledge, reduces stress, helps you get ready to sleep as well as increasing empathy.
  • You’re an adult, so there’s no teacher making you read something you don’t want to read. Find a topic that interests you or something you’ve always wanted to learn about and start there.
  • If you can, support small independent bookstores. They can always order you whatever you need, usually direct from the publisher.

• Get Some Sun

  • Depending where you live, this can be tough! Canada being where it is north of the 49th parallel has daylight that starts to dwindle in early November and doesn’t get better until March.
  • If there are sunny breaks in a day, take the chance to go for a run or walk, ideally with as much skin as exposed as possible to help get some…

• Vitamin D

  • This blog talked about Vitamin D back in the summer, but suffice to say, it’s super important! Like, big time.
  • TLDR: If you can’t get as much sunshine as you’d like, make sure to take a Vitamin D supplement

• Exercise

  • If you’re reading the Yard Athletics blog, you likely take health and wellness seriously. If so, congrats, you’re one step ahead.
  • Given that many gyms are closed or in limited capacity right now, use every opportunity to get outside and do some physical activity at least 3-5 hours per week.
  • Yard is offering our 1:1 and 2:1 Personal Training sessions while there is a temporary suspension of group classes, so jump on MindBody and try it out if you haven’t already
  • The benefits of exercise are endless, none more so that boosting your mood through the release of endorphins.

• Cook

  • If you’re sick of take-out after 6 months in quarantine, it’s time to start cooking for yourself.
  • Cooking for yourself saves you money, lets you spend time with friends and loved ones, as well as being a lot healthier than restaurant food.
  • This blog has a huge resource of recipes, but so does the internet. YouTube is overloaded with people showing you how to cook. Ask a friend to show you a recipe over FaceTime. Ask your mom, dad, brother, sister, aunt, uncle, grandma, grandma.
  • You’ll spend time with people you like, learn a new skill, save money and eat healthy… Stress, what stress?