How I’m Getting Out of the House Every Day

In the summer, I remember leaving the house every day to take walks, explore different neighbourhoods and exercising. But, it's now the middle of the school year, the weather is less warm, and midterms are going strong. So, I’ve found that I often won't leave my house for many days in a row.

This bad habit has really been getting me down. I’ve found that if I don’t leave my house for a couple days, I'll feel burnt out, anxious, and especially exhausted with work. So, over the past few weeks I’ve been making a conscious effort to get out of my house every day, even if it’s cold outside and I have a lot of work to do. I also got tired quickly of walking around the block every day, so I’ve been trying to create more inventive things to do to get me out of the house!

First, I leave my house with a specific goal.

I find that going out for a walk with a specific goal allows me to complete a daily walk, but feels more meaningful than just walking around the block. Now that the seasons are turning, I’ve been spending time savouring the autumnal weather. For example, I’ve been picking up fall leaves and pinecones to decorate my house with. I’ve also been looking for pretty landscapes or buildings to take photos of on my disposable camera, which helps direct and focus my time outside. 

I go on walks to pickup items.

Going to the store to get an item I need is an easy way to get out of my house, but buying something everyday certainly doesn’t help with saving money! So, I’ve been getting books from Robarts library (or whatever local library is nearby) to read. Robarts has a pickup service which allows you to request a library book online and safely pick it up. So, I can get a new book to read and also get out of the house to walk to the library. 

I also pickup food instead of getting it delivered.

Ubereats is definitely something I’ve been indulging in this quarantine, but the additional delivery fees can really bump up the prices of food. So, I realized that if I pick up my food personally from a local restaurant, I can save money on delivery fees and get in my daily walk. 

When possible, I do work outside.

I realized that when I’m really busy with school, I can still head over to a local park and do some work there. This allows me to get out of the house and spend some time in nature to decompress. I actually find that working outside, with the fresh air and the lack of wifi, keeps me super focused! 

How are you getting out of the house these days?