How The Coronavirus Has Impacted Creativity & Community: The Importance Of Nature During A Pandemic (Week 4 Blog Post)

*NOTE: I am using this post for my Creativity and Community class project, which will focus on how the coronavirus has impacted my life and the lives of those around me, specifically in regard to our sense of community. This is post 4/4.*

This week I shared articles with my class that pertained to physical exercise, specifically how bike sales have really increased and how people are taking their dogs out on longer and more frequent walks (which is actually hurting business for dog walkers). I can easily say that I’ve noticed both of these things in my small part of the world. Bikes are virtually non-existent at the local Walmart, and Caesar and I see so many more dogs out on our walks.

One Wednesday afternoon I took Caesar on a walk through downtown Van Wert and I counted at least five other dogs out with their humans – something we’d never seed usually, especially in the middle of the week.

One lady in the article made a comment that really resonated with me. She said that her dog is keeping her sane and that walking him is the only interaction she’s having with the outside world these days.

On “normal days” (pre-COVID-19) my dog was the only thing keeping me sane. These days, that sentiment has definitely increased.

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Over the past few weeks, we’ve heard more and more about how mental health is a major focus and how we need to be doing things that make us happy. Walking my dog has always been that thing; it’s always been my way to destress after a bad day at work or after a long day at school.

These days, I’m doing most of my work from home; I’m working from home and I’m doing my school work from home. These three worlds use to exist as mostly separate entities. I’d work from The Times Bulletin office, I’d go to school four days a week on the Purdue Campus, and I’d go home to relax or finish up whatever I didn’t get done at the two other places. While my lives have always been blurred, they have never overlapped in the way they do these days. Now, I feel like I’m always “on” at home. I am not sleeping well and I feel very exhausted. More recently, it’s felt really hard to be motivated about school or work from home.

Basically, it can be hard to relax at home, so getting out and walking my dog has become my biggest solace and escape from this virus, and it appears I’m not alone. Recently, a Walmart employee told me that they can’t build bikes fast enough – they are flying off the shelf as families realize that the one way they can get out of the house and stay safe is by going outside and enjoying nature.

I think we all know the statistics regarding exercise and mental health. Basically it’s pretty good for your mind. When you feel stuck at home, getting fresh air outside by walking your dog or riding your bike can feel like the best escape.

Over the weekend I went to Decatur to hunt painted rocks and walk my dog. I was intrigued by the number of families out and about on bikes. Actually, last weekend on one of Van Wert’s trails, Caesar and I were nearly run down by a group of bikers who snuck up on us and didn’t call out.

Caesar and I walk year-round. I consider myself a pretty avid dog walker. We visit the same trails weekly – Van Wert Reservoir and Bike Path, Decatur’s River Greenway, Fox Island County Park, and Kreager Park’s River Greenway. Even on the nicest days pre-coroanvirus, the trails only had mild foot/bike-traffic. These days, the trails are packed. More and more people are venturing outside to exercise, because it’s still deemed an “essential” activity.

Exercise on a regular basis is really good for not only our physical health, but our mental health too. In this really depressing time, it’s been wonderful to get outside and see others outside too.

There’s no doubt that since now I’m not spending time driving to Fort Wayne daily or to work, I am walking my dog far more (we went on two walks today). At this point, it’s about the only thing I have to look forward to and the only way to “get away.” What’s really great is that people have been painting more rocks and hiding them, which makes the walks really fun. It’s great to be out on a walk and spot a cool-looking rock.

Likewise, at Fox Island County Park, the park staff hid neat wood carvings, and it’s fun to spend hours in nature hunting them. It gives me something to look forward to, and I end up spending more time in nature. Plus, concentrating on finding the rocks and the wood carvings helps take my mind off of school and work, which I seem to always be focused on at home now.

While this virus has taken its toll on mental and social health, it has certainly highlighted the important role that nature can play in making us feel better. So, if you’re having a hard time mentally with this quarantine, take the dog out or take the family out and hunt some rocks or wood carvings. It’s a really great, mentally healthy activity.