We've made it to the middle of summer - the days are long, the sun is hot, and you're following the same routine you always do, just with the a/c blasting a little harder. For most adults, summer is just a continuation of our regular schedules, unless we have vacation time saved up to take a break. The days of sitting around the house complaining about being bored are a distant childhood memory (unless, of course, you have kids sitting around the house complaining about being bored)!
On those occasions when boredom hits, you might remember a parent telling you, "Well, go outside and do something!" It was good advice back then, and it's still good advice now! Even if you aren't able to take a full vacation, there are plenty of fun outdoor activities that can be enjoyed on a weekend.
Since July is National Park and Recreation Month, I thought I'd share a few of my favorite outdoor recreational activities. So grab a water bottle and some sunscreen, and go outside and do something!
Hiking
Sure, it would be great to live in the mountains and have hiking trails right outside your backyard, but you don't actually have to live near any national or state parks to enjoy the great outdoors and the many health benefits of walking. If you want to add a little twist to your simple stroll and increase the challenge a bit, you can even try incorporating Japanese and Nordic walking trends. If you don't live in an area with many hiking trails, you can enjoy a city park or take a stroll around your neighborhood. Be intentional about observing the little things around you - the birds singing in the morning, the flowers blooming, and the morning dew on the grass. You get the picture. At the end of your walk, you'll have improved not only your physical health but also your mental health.
Bird-Watching
While you're taking those walks, you can double the fun factor by bird-watching! You don't have to be a professional birder with binoculars and guidebooks to get into this hobby (although definitely bring your binoculars if you have any). You might also be surprised at the variety of birds you can find in your own backyard, once you start intentionally noticing them. Several smartphone apps are available to help you identify birds, either visually or by sound. My personal favorite app for this is Merlin Bird ID from Cornell University's Cornell Lab of Ornithology. You can identify birds step-by-step (by telling it the bird's color, size, and where you saw it), by uploading a photo of the bird, or by recording a bird's song. I can tell you from experience that the best time for doing this is in the morning or evening, which also happens to be the best time of day for taking that stroll.
Photography
Photography is another great outdoor activity that can be enjoyed anytime, anywhere, and you don't need any special equipment to enjoy it. It's also something else that you can do while taking your morning or evening walk! Single-lens reflex (SLR) cameras with interchangeable lenses are great, but you can still take amazing pictures with a simple smartphone camera. There are numerous online courses and tutorials for smartphone photography, but these quick guides from Adobe and Fstoppers are a great place to start.
As you might guess, I'm not the most adventurous person in the world. There's a reason I don't have mountain biking, camping, rock climbing, or sky diving on this list. However, I've found that taking at least a few minutes outside every day to enjoy the fresh air and a bit of nature, even on a small and local scale, helps me start my day on the right foot. If you follow current events and are a news junkie like me, you might also be feeling overwhelmed right now. It's important to remember the airplane safety instructions about putting on your own oxygen mask first. Consider a daily dose of nature and outdoor activities like these to be your own oxygen mask.
What are some of your favorite summer activities? Let us know in the comments!
Julia Reed is the systems librarian and focuses on technology development and maintenance. She's into graphic design, photography, and spending time outdoors in her free time.