This month, our friends at SURFRIDER FOUNDATION launched their #STAYHOMESHREDLATER campaign—an all-out array of insight, information, tools and support for making shelter-in-place your new happy place.
“But, Sanuk, how can I still do my part to keep our oceans and coasts healthy if I can’t leave my house?
Great question. To help answer that, we teamed up with Surfrider to compile a list of things you can do at home to stay #OceanFriendly and flatten the curve simultaneously. The following is a casual compilation of ideas and activities that have been helping us get through these wild times. And yes, we realize there are a heap of lists like these going around right now, but hey— one more couldn’t hurt? Plus, we felt compelled to give you a few happy-place focused ideas to mull over…
1. READ A NEW BOOK— OR FINISH THAT ONE YOU’VE GOT LEFT.
We know. Novel concept… Ha! Seriously though. When it comes to picking the right read, try picking up something with Mother Nature in mind. Here’s a few gems:
- LET MY PEOPLE GO SURFING by Yvon Chouinard
- GOOD IS THE NEW COOL by Afdhel Aziz
- BARBARIAN DAYS by William Finnegan
- THE CODE by Shaun Tomson
- SWELL by Liz Clark
- JUNK RAFT by Marcus Eriksen
- PLASTIC OCEAN by Charles Moore
- SURF IS WHERE YOU FIND It by Gerry Lopez
2. TRY MEDITATING
It’s easier than you think. Find a comfy spot in your house or in your yard. Sit up straight, close your eyes and just… breathe. It’s remarkable what 10 mellow minutes will do to clear your mind. If you just can’t seem to start, try downloading an app to help guide you through the process:
3. DO AN AT-HOME PLASTIC AUDIT:
Use this time to do a self-audit of all the single-use plastic that accumulates in your household and use Surfrider’s online resources to help reduce your plastic footprint. Below are some plastic reduction resources from their blog:
4. START AN OCEAN FRIENDLY GARDEN:
The Ocean Friendly Gardens (OFG) program is the Surfrider Foundation’s volunteer-run landscape education, hands-on training and advocacy program. While you are practicing social distancing, this could be a great opportunity to start converting your garden to an OFG:
5. TRY SOME SURF-RELATED WORKOUTS
We know the “workout” may be dirty word these days. But hey! Even if all you surf is the internet, you can still benefit from incorporating these movements and sequences into your routine:
- 6 EXERCISES THAT WILL HELP IMPROVE YOUR SURFING
- HOME-BASED EXERCISES TO IMPROVE YOUR SURFING
- SIX EXERCISES TO IMPROVE YOUR SURFING TODAY
- SURF FOREVER: DR. TIM BROWN ON ALIGNMENT & POSTURE
6. STREAM YOUR HAPPY PLACE:
We know it might be tough to watch a sunny day at the beach but at least you can feel like you’re at the beach while you’re at home.
7. ATTEND A CONCERT FROM YOUR COUCH
There are tons of great music live streams to keep you rocking through the day. NPR has an INCREDIBLY DIVERSE LIST of artists doing streaming concerts. Best of all, the list gets updated all the time so you can get your fix from the comfort of your couch.
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Of course, this is far from an exhaustive list, but hopefully you’ll find an unexpected things in there for you or someone you know. For more tips on how to stay Ocean Friendly at home, please visit SURFRIDER.ORG. Smile…Pass it on!