getoutside-limitscreentime

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My last post (for now?).

This is not my last blog post, but it might be a little while until you hear from me again. To summarize a few weeks of blog posts the most important thing is GOING OUTSIDE. It. It can be all day or for just half an hour, going outside can help so much with your physical and mental health. Getting physical activity is super important for maintaining good health as well but at the bare minimum sitting outside and staying off your phone will help you be more productive in your day and give you a nice break between work and school because personally when I take a break and sit on my phone and go back to doing schoolwork, it does feel like a break. The best breaks are when I go outside and play football toss a frisbee with some friends, or even walk to the dining halls to get food. One way or another going outside and staying off your phone has endless benefits and no consequences, so do yourself a favor and go outside today, tomorrow, and the rest of your life!

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Getting Outside with Art!

A lot on my blog post I talk a lot about sports, running, and other physical activities outside. If that's not you at all, I get it. Even though physical activity is necessary for living a healthy life, people find other ways than breaking a sweat. If you are into art then that is perfect, go outside, paint, or draw something. It can be as little as the tree in your backyard or as big as going to a national park and drawing the mountains. The possibilities are endless including what kind of art you're into. There are countless things you can do outside that bring out the artist in you. For example, my mom loves gardening and my dad likes to trim his trees and bushes. Whatever you choose you will be outside in the sun getting some vitamin D and staying off your phone. Do yourself a favor and go outside today!

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Need a solution to stop scrolling forever?

Can you still not stop yourself from scrolling for hours or staying up way later than you should because you want to sit on your phone? Well, l I have an idea that will help. This has been around for a while but I haven't brought it up on the blog and the idea is putting a time limit on apps. You can do it yourself in the settings app and you put a password on it, so you can do it at any time but it is a good bit of work to undo. It doesn't matter for how long it is but I would say keep it at around an hour to an hour-thirty max. This will help so much because the first few days it's going to suck when you can't use the app in the afternoon because you were so used to scrolling all day but once you get used to the time limit you space out the time you're on your phone, and you will see how much more productive you will get. It is also important if you like to scroll on more than one app you split the time limit on those two apps, just in case for example you run out of time on TikTok and go straight to Instagram reels then you haven't accomplished anything. This will help a ton and hopefully get you outside more!

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Watching is still doing something

I get it. Some days you don't feel like you want to break a sweat or challenge yourself that much, you just want to lay around and relax, everyone needs those days, but it is still important to go outside and get some vitamin D or at the minimum to leave the house other than to go get food, well I have the perfect solution for you. Go watch something. Whether it's something new or something you have seen before, go outside and watch it. I'm not talking about going to the movie theater either, college baseball season is back and now is a perfect time to sit outside and soak in the sun for the nice spring weather. Not a fan of baseball? It can be anything. One of my friends was bored recently and went to a dog jumping show. Sometimes the most random things are the most enjoyable so grab some friends and go spend an hour or two socializing and being outside away from the phone and TV!

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Lakes, Oceans, and Pools!

My favorite activity in the summer is 100% anything that has to do with any body of water. Whether that's swimming, watersports, kayaking, canoeing, fishing, pool basketball, skipping rocks, etc. there are so many fun ways to stay active near or on the water and almost no matter where you live you have access to water within somewhat of a short drive. Time can fly by when you're on the water and/or with friends and I always am grateful in the summer when the weather is perfect for a swim. Even if you're not into getting wet boating and tanning are also fantastic, getting some sun (With sunscreen of course) can boost your mental health and make you physically feel better too! As long as you're drinking enough water summer time on the water is a perfect way to get outside!

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The most fun way to keep active?

As someone who played sports in high school and all my life, sometimes going on a walk or a bike ride is just too boring for me. One of my favorite ways to stay active and get outside is to play sports for fun. Well obviously playing sports at any level is fun but I am mainly talking about pickup or recreation sports. There are so many benefits to playing, like making new friends, bringing the spark back when you used to play, breaking a sweat, and having something to look forward to every week. Even if you are new to a sport it can still be a blast and an introduction to something new. Your time will fly by and it is also perfect for competitive people. Do yourself a favor and go sign up to play something, and trust me your stamina and the child inside of you will be thanking you!

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Socially running?

A lot of people have similar problems in life. They have no one to go outside and run with! Whether you love running but have no friends/ family that want to run with you, or you just moved to a new city and do not have any access to friends or family, which comes the solution? Run clubs. Whether you have seen them on Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, through the newspaper, or whatever. They are everywhere and are a great place to meet new people and have a good time with those who enjoy running as much as you do. If you live near a big enough city, they have all different types of run clubs whether it is long distance or a walking speed, they have some for everyone and are a great motivator to get you to go outside and run.

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Ground hog day: more winter :(

Today February 2nd is Groundhog Day, and what did it see? Its shadow so 6 more weeks of winter. Now we know that's not particularly true and Ground hog day is just a fun holiday, he can't change the weather based on if he saw his shadow or not, but we do know that it is now February which means chilling winds and icy roads are in the past and better weather is to come. Even though the temperature is getting warmer and the weather will be nice outside, it doesn't mean you should wait until it gets warmer or nicer, throw on a sweatshirt or something and take advantage of some of the warmest weather we have received in months. Go outside and enjoy it!

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Need motivation to get outside?

My favorite motivation to go outside and get active is fostering a dog for a day. Plenty of dog adoption centers will let you foster a dog for a day or even just a few hours. It's great for the dogs to meet new people and potential owners, as well as get some exercise and attention after staying in a dog kennel, and it is also a great motivator to stay off the electronics and take the dog on a walk, tossing a ball the backyard, or even laying around the house and giving some attention to the dog can be good for the both of you. It can be a great service and super fun. Do yourself a favor and get outside.

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Schoolwork: How to stay proactive and get outside

As school gets back in session and homework and classes start to pick up, it’s getting easier to stay inside and rotate between homework and staying on or phone or TV, making it easier to procrastinate and not do your work. At the end of the day, it stresses you out and regrets waiting and never wanting to do it again, but you do. How do you get out of this cycle? Start doing little amounts of homework during the day. You can do it watching tv or listening to music. 30 minutes a day is better than 3 hours in one sitting, and doing your work spread out will leave you more motivated to get outside and go on a walk, visit friends, or even move locations to do homework somewhere. Do yourself a favor and go outside today!

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Wondering how to get outside in the cold?

If you are like me and live in an area that is not cold enough to get snow everyday but cold enough to be miserable outside, then we both have a problem: how do I get outside when it's super cold? The simple thing is to bundle up and get warm because now more than ever it is super important to go outside and take a step away from work and school and scrolling. Everyone is just getting back into routine after the winter break and a lot can be stressful during this time. Grab some warm clothes, maybe a friend or family member, even a pet, and take a walk outside and trust me your day will just get so much better. A long breath of fresh air can be such a game changer for everyone!

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Just starting the new year!

As the new year just passed, everyone has at least something they want to accomplish this year. Whether it's going to work out or trying harder in school, all are great and can make a huge difference in your life if you are committed. My favorite new year's resolutions that people have are to limit screen time and go outside. With tik tok just getting banned in the US there is no more of a perfect time to set down the phone computer and go outside. Even if it's for just a few minutes a day it can lower stress by a ton and taking a break from all the hard things going on in people's lives can be a lifesaver. Do yourself a favor and go outside today!