Ten Good Things to Do During Covid

After the last couple weeks of columns that addressed serious problems or threats to our nation, I thought it would be good to share some positives that have emerged during this pandemic crisis. While we need to address huge issues, it is important to always look for some uplifting items.

Here is a list of ten rapidly growing positive activities spurred on by COVID-19:

1. Hiking

Going out for a walk in your neighborhood or out on the trails has increased dramatically this year. This is a clear winner for all. Get outside and become healthier in both physical and mental terms. In Michigan, we had already been working hard to become the trail state. I was proud to have launched the Iron Belle Trail. The IBT is composed of a walking and a bicycling trail that will eventually link Ironwood on the Wisconsin border with Belle Isle Park in Detroit. In total, there will be over 2,000 miles of trails and it’s already almost 70% complete. www.michigantrails.org/trails/iron-belle-trail. From Sept. 20-27, you can celebrate Michigan Trails Week and participate in a virtual challenge. Check out this website from the DNR for more information: https://bit.ly/3bo704e. 

2. Bicycling

The demand for bicycles has been increasing quickly. Even more difficult to find are E (electric) bikes. Bicycling is a great activity similar to hiking in terms of health benefits. While hiking is free; an investment is needed here. But rent or borrow if you can’t buy. Also, be safe. Wear a helmet and follow the rules of the road. We have had too many people hurt in accidents with vehicles. (You can also use a bike to participate in the Michigan Trails Week Challenge I mentioned above!) 

3. Camping

Although we are not getting on airplanes, we are driving to the great outdoors. Many people, especially Millennials, are going camping in everything from tents to RVs. The travel equipment industry is reporting big sales increases. In prior years, our family took RV trips which created memories that will last our lifetime. We visited unique places in Michigan and collected fun stories of adventures that usually went well and sometimes didn’t. If you can’t afford an RV or trailer; consider renting one or trying the tent approach. Michigan has 103 state parks and 193 state forest campgrounds, not to mention the many sites where you can camp in one of four national forests in our state.No matter what type of camping you do or activities you like to take part in, Michigan has a place for you. One of the fun parts of camping is the adventure of trying things which you have talked about but never did. If you have never had a S’more, this is your big chance!

4. Boating

Boat dealers are reporting large increases in demand for all kinds of boats. I have spoken with dealers who have literally run out of stock in a variety of categories. Getting out on the water is a wonderful way to relax. If you haven’t tried it; check out kayaking. It has built-in social distancing, it’s great exercise and you can go places other boats can’t. We love it so much in Michigan, we actually market water trails as great places to visit. One of the best places to kayak in the world is at Michigan’s Pictured Rocks on the northern shore of Lake Superior. www.michiganwatertrails.org You also could consider taking a kayak or canoe to one of Michigan’s boat-in camping sites if you want to combine activities.

5. Fishing

If you want a great water experience during the COVID crisis, go fishing. There are very few experiences that can alternate between being at absolute peace and great excitement like fishing. Also, fishing doesn’t require a big boat and lots of equipment. It can be a ton of fun to fish from shore or a rowboat. I grew up fishing for bass out of a rowboat with a six horsepower motor. Also, you may get some great meals out of this activity. My mom measured how long to cook the bass during a fish fry by how much beer she drank. No kidding; she was a great cook!

6. Home improvement/Do It Yourself projects

During the lockdown period, this was a very popular category which is expected to continue to be hot through next year. For many of us, we found out that we could actually make, build, or fix something. I’ve become pretty good at building shelving to hold all kinds of family archives that have piled up over the past twenty years. My yard work skills also improved a lot. I will admit, Sue was happy to see me go off and do these projects for at least a couple of hours a day.

7. Jigsaw puzzles

Demand for jigsaw puzzles is up as much as 300% over last year. Sue and I have been part of this surge. We have been working on various 1,000 piece puzzles since March. We complete one about every two or three days. We have done so many that we now put the completion date on the box so we don’t start doing it again too soon. It is actually a great family activity which is good brain exercise. We like to do the ones that have themes that we can relate to versus the super hard ones.

8. Cooking

This area has boomed with people at home much more. Dining at home has gone up dramatically during the pandemic. While this is generally a good thing, the decline in dining out has been very hard on many good hardworking people. Cooking is very therapeutic. It is great to start and finish a project in a relatively short time and have it be a rewarding experience for family members. Kelsey, our daughter, has earned lots of family kudos for becoming proficient in making bagels from scratch.  

9. Sewing/crocheting

Although I don’t personally participate in this category, it is great to see that this category is also hot.. Sewing machine manufacturers are reporting strong demand and many people are dusting off machines they had put away somewhere in their house. Making clothing at home is great. Also I found one article that said over 1,000 Etsy sellers had sold over 29.5 million face masks!

10. Gardening

Gardening has been another high-growth area. More people have had time at home in addition to having difficulty finding certain foods or herbs in the grocery. If you don’t have room for a big garden, it doesn’t take much room to grow some tomatoes or herbs. I used to love picking basil leaves and then making fresh pesto thanks to my growing partner, Ranger Bill, on Mackinac Island.

Please note that all of these ten generate positive benefits such as improved physical or mental health, additional food at home, or completed items that improve your quality of life. If you haven’t tried these activities, why not give them a try? 

Remember, Relentless Positive Action in your life will help you and others. So, I wish you RPA every day!