While none of us are immune to fear and anxiety, we feel it’s important to keep connecting with others and to keep enjoying life. We thought we could explore a few ways to embrace life’s adventure and connect with others, even in the midst of a pandemic.
Have Coffee with a Friend…Remotely
It’s easier than ever to connect with others remotely. FaceTime, Google Duo, and Facebook Messenger all offer free ways to video call with friends and family members. Set up a time and have coffee together over the phone. You can even invite multiple friends and have a group conversation. The face-to-face interaction (even if it’s through a smartphone or computer) is a great way to connect and encourage one another. Of course, if you’re more comfortable with a phone call, then plan one of those instead! Even though we are distancing ourselves socially, it doesn’t mean we are alone.
Read a New Book
Escape between the pages of a book without having to leave your house! Start a book club with friends or read aloud to your kids. If you can’t get to the library, try signing up for an audiobook subscription (Audible’s first month is free and you can cancel anytime). Many libraries offer ways to check out ebooks and audiobooks. All you need is a library card.
Get Creative
If you have extra time, consider trying out a new hobby. Exercising your creative muscles is a great way to relax and relieve some of the stress we are all feeling. There are plenty of free tutorials on YouTube on everything from watercolors to crochet.
Explore a Local Park
If you are able, consider exploring a nearby park. Michigan’s stay-at-home order states that individuals may leave their homes for outdoor activities like walking, running, and cycling. With spring finally arriving in Michigan, there are plenty of new plants and wildlife to observe in our local parks. Please note that playground equipment may be closed. Try to visit parks with walking paths and open areas. Also, be sure to maintain proper social distancing from those outside your household.
Learn Something New
Maybe this is the perfect time to take a class or study something you’ve always wanted to know. There are documentaries on most online streaming platforms (Netflix, Amazon, Hulu). You could also take a deeper dive with an online class. The Great Courses is a company where you can purchase individual courses or a monthly subscription. Courses come with classroom lectures and a guidebook. Best of all, they have frequent sales and are currently offering a discounted monthly subscription.
Go on a Virtual Museum Tour
There are many museums around the world now offering virtual tours of their collections. This is a great opportunity to explore the world from the comfort of your own home. Take a virtual tour or explore specific collections through Google Arts & Culture. Here’s a list of 10 museums you can explore right now.
Tell Us About Your Adventure
Have you gone on an adventure recently? Our residents would love to hear about it. We’re still accepting emails for “Write a Resident”. If you have a story you’d like to share, type up your experience and email it to smiedema@sunsetmanor.org. We’ll take care of printing messages and delivering them safely to our residents.
As the situation with COVID-19 continues to evolve, every Sunset community is keeping up with all local and national recommendations. Please read our most recent update or call directly with any immediate concerns.