Dear COE faculty, staff and students,
This week is spring break and an opportunity to relax, renew, and reflect on life right now. It is so important to give yourself time to regain focus and balance with your life and your health. So what can we do on spring break during a pandemic? With help from Nathaniel Curiel at UC-Davis, here is a wonderful list of options to make this week special, even if you are one of us who still must do some work.
Recovery & Wellness Days at Home
If decompressing and just taking care of your mental health is the main thing you want out of spring break, you have all kinds of options—depending on what wellness and self-care mean for you. Below are some ideas for how to enjoy spring break close to home and with an emphasis on recharging.
- Catch up on sleep!
- Take a mindful walk outside
- Start a garden/get indoor plants
- Learn a new craft, like knitting, painting, drawing or calligraphy
- Participate in a guided meditation/yoga video to help you relax
- Sunbathe in your backyard or the park
- Spa day. Think: face masks, pedicure, bubble bath
- Screen-free day!
- Learn to bake or cook a new meal
- Make a mood/vision board
- Organize your room/space
- Do some journaling or creative writing
- Learn a new language
Engage Virtually
- Game night over zoom
- The 21 Best Games to Play on Zoom Right Now (Marie Claire article)
- Codenames, Among Us, Scattergories, Kahoot
- Try a new recipe virtually with friends
- Have a virtual dinner party with friends/family
- Group Spotify sessions
- Use the Houseparty app for streaming shows
- Just Dance videos
- Learn TikTok dances
Travel from Home and Engage Virtually
If the idea of “traveling” virtually to destinations near and far appeals to you, or if you’d love something new to do online with family and friends you can’t see right now, fill your spring break with some of the ideas below.
- Museums
- Monterey Bay Aquarium live cams
- New York Met virtual group tours
- New England Aquarium tours and at-home activities
- Virtual tours with NASA
- Destinations
- Experience rides and attractions at Disney World in a 360º virtual environment
- Google Arts & Culture offers a huge variety of interactive experiences related to travel, culture and art. Think: Which artworks look like you?
- National Park Service tours
- Visit the country of Chile virtually with Chile 360
- Around the World at Home series from the New York Times
Outdoor Activities & Day Trips
Getting outdoors may be among the best and lowest risk activities this spring break—especially if cabin fever has been getting to you. You can do this without going too far in the Los Angeles area. Here are some great places to hike or ride your bike.
Best trails in Los Angeles, California | AllTrails
17 Best Hikes in Los Angeles | Condé Nast Traveler
11 Amazing Waterfalls Worth Hiking To Around L.A. - Secret ...
Best Bike Trails in Los Angeles for Your Next Ride - Time Out
For a list of other self-care options for spring break 2021, please see our COE self-care website for resources for faculty, staff, students, and the community at:
https://www.csun.edu/eisner-education/self-care/articles-information-self-care
This week, be sure to take time for you!
Warmly,
Shari