What about yesterday? What about this week?
Another CDFN Life hack by Chris Stewart
I used to think it was just me. I have a career that keeps me indoors, and when my spouse gets home there’s dinner (and maybe some of you have kids stuff too). A day can just slip by when you realize that you haven’t stepped outside at all.
A day here and a day there is fine, but what happens when you realize that you haven’t gotten out of your sweatpants in more than a week?
For many of us, home is not just where we live, but it’s where we work. There’s no getting dressed and heading to the office, just walk over to the computer and turn it on. It can also be time to clean the house, read a book, watch TV or make some art. There’s always something to do in the house, but nothing to do outside.
Outside can also be a stressful place. It may not be stressful causing real panic, but on post it can be new, inconvenient or just different, and maybe you don’t want to deal with different today.
Culture shock doesn’t have to be intense, sometimes it’s mild. Your home is a place where you have Canadian stuff, and you don’t have to negotiate for the price of a taxi or deal with the weird traffic habits. Having a comfortable home is important to your mental well being on post, but sometimes it can also be a crutch.
“I should probably go outside…”
Going out might seem simple (depending on your post), but staying at home all the time might seem even easier? Here are a few tips to keep you from being a shut-in, and enjoying the great outdoors (even if you’re in a huge city).
- Make a list
When you moved to post, you might have checked out all of the travel sites to see what was in store for your future. Go back to those sites and start making lists of places to check out in your area. Don’t wait for your spouse to have time to check them out with you, consider yourself the pre-planner for future tourist visits and head out on your own.
- What about a walking group?
The key to making a walking group work is to be dedicated to the walk, and not necessarily the walking group. Pick a day of the week and head out on a walk, it can be the same place every time or a chance to explore. Invite others to join you on the walk too. Pick a time every week, tell people where you’ll be walking and go. Even if no one can join you, just go. It’s even possible that a walking group like this already exists (if you’re going to Myanmar anytime soon just send me a message and I’ll hook you up with my old walking group that’s still going strong). The key is to plan a walk, and if others want to come great, but always go on your walk.
- Go shopping, but not close
Sure you might be familiar with the local grocery shopping options by now, but why not go further away for your shopping. Pick a random neighbourhood and do a little online searching for local and even chain grocery stores outside your immediate vicinity. It’s fine to drive (or take public transit) but make sure to wander around and see what’s new. Who knows, you might find a new restaurant or store that you like even more.
I find that two motivators to get outside work for me really well, one is scheduling and the other is peer pressure.
Maybe you need something else to get you out the door, but the key is to do it, and send pictures, we’d love to see what you discover.
Chris Stewart has been a creative professional for over 20 years: a photographer, video wizard, writer, illustrator, often juggling several hats at once. Chris is also a packing expert! He’s currently in a suitcase transitions after leaving Myanmar, having had adventures in Cambodia, Pakistan, Greece, and Japan. The “CDFN Life Hacks” are designed to provide quick advice for navigating assignment cycles more smoothly.
Oh, and Chris draws all the illustrations for his posts!
