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Health Mythbusting: is 10,000 steps a day really the magic number?
10,000 steps is the magic number…or is it? We take a look at the science behind this common health myth and break down how many steps you really need in our latest post.
From maintaining a healthy weight to strengthening bones and muscles, walking is a powerful way to take care of your body. According to the CDC, walking is the most popular form of aerobic physical activity. Many of us have heard that we should aim for 10,000 steps a day to really see health benefits. We checked out the science behind the 10,000-step rule—and what we found might surprise you.
In this article, we’ll be diving deep into the concept of whether 10,000 steps a day is the magic number for health or not. We’ll share where this idea came from, whether it truly is the magic number, and how you can boost the number of steps you get in a day to improve your fitness.
Where did the 10,000 steps a day idea come from?
Whether you heard about the 10,000-step rule from a friend, or read about it on a fitness app, this message has been circling the health community for some time now. Oddly, there doesn’t appear to be any scientific data that 10,000 steps a day is the optimal goal for health. It's believed that the now-arbitrary goal was developed as a marketing tactic by a Japanese pedometer company in the 1960s.
Does that mean it should be thrown out? No, the 10,000 steps a day idea has started a renewed interest in being active, and that’s always a good thing.
How long does it take to walk 10,000 steps?
If you've decided that you're dedicated to hitting 10,000 steps per day, understanding the amount of time you'll need to get your steps in can be an important part of fitting your goal into your schedule. Depending on your pace, elevation changes as you're walking, and other factors, it'll take between one and two hours to walk 10,000 steps.
This doesn't mean that you need to block out two hours each day to walk, however. Small changes—like taking phone meetings while walking, going for a stroll after dinner, or making a point to move for a few minutes every hour—can seriously add up.
How many miles is 10,000 steps?
The number of miles you’ll cover with 10,000 steps can vary from person to person based on stride length. That said, for the average adult, 10,000 steps covers about 5 miles (8 kilometers).
Increasing movement is beneficial, whether you hit a 10,000 step goal or not. You'll receive the benefits of increased walking, including increased flexibility, increased blood flow, better heart health, improved balance and increased range of motion, as long as you're striving for that 10,000 mark, even if your daily distance coverage falls short of your 5-mile goal.
Keep in mind that 10,000 steps is a goal that works well for many people, but it’s not the best goal for every person. The benefits of walking more happen if you increase your energy expenditure, even if 10,000 steps a day is out of reach.
Is 10,000 steps really the magic number?
One study followed 2,110 adults with an average follow-up of 10.8 years. During this study, people taking at least 7,000 steps a day compared to those taking less than 7,000 steps a day had a 50% to 70% lower risk of mortality.
This doesn’t give any evidence that 10,000 steps is the magic number. But it does indicate that more exercise is better than less.
Amanda Paluch, a lead researcher studying the link between how many steps people take and cardiovascular disease, led a team that analyzed seven earlier studies that followed participants who wore step counters and tracked their cardiovascular health.
They brought all the studies together for a more diverse sample. They found that as the number of steps increased, the risk of cardiovascular disease decreased. Paluch explained that just increasing your steps incrementally could be helpful to your cardiovascular health. Rather than focusing on hitting an arbitrary number of steps each day, it may make more sense to work to increase your step goal by 5 or 10% each week until you get to a number that feels challenging-yet-beneficial for your fitness level.
How many steps a day should you be getting?
Taking less than 4,000 steps a day is considered a low level of physical activity. If you’re regularly walking less than that, and you aren’t limited by mobility or health conditions that prevent you from walking more, it might be a good idea to step up your step count—but that doesn’t mean you have to push for 10,000 each day.
The number of steps you should take each day depends on several factors.
Your age, health, current fitness levels, and fitness goals all play a role in determining the number of steps you should be taking each day.
The CDC’s recommendations for the amount of physical activity you should aim for are based on your current fitness level.
- Inactive - No extra physical activity taking place besides the basic movements required for daily life.
- Insufficiently active - Less than 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week, or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity exercise per week
- Active - 150 to 300 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise every week
- Highly active - More than 300 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week
What is moderate-intensity exercise?
Moderate-intensity exercise is anything that gets your heart pumping while increasing your respiratory rate (breathing). Brisk walking, biking, swimming, jogging, playing basketball, jumping rope, and playing volleyball all fall into the moderate-intensity category.
According to a study published in the medical journal The Lancet, people over the age of 60 who regularly walked about 7,000 steps per day cut their mortality rate in half. Younger people who walked about 8,000 steps a day saw a similar dip in mortality.
If you deal with certain health conditions, it's important to talk with your doctor before you begin a new exercise program.
How to add more steps to your day
Making small, sustainable changes that you can stick with over time can help you steadily increase your steps. Try these tips to add more movement to your day:
- Take the stairs. Taking the stairs whenever you can allows you to get your heart pumping without taking away from your normal daily routine.
- Walk with a dog or friend. Taking some time out of your day to walk your dog or to take a stroll with friends can be a great way to clear your head while also adding in more steps and getting your dog to exercise. If you work in an office, talk with your coworkers about heading out for a 10-to-15-minute stroll after you finish lunch to help add some movement to your day.
- Make parking decisions that help you move. Whether you’re taking a trip to the grocery store or meeting up at a friend's house, taking time to take those extra steps either by walking or parking further away from your destination might be a great way to add more steps into your daily routine.
- Listen while walking. Podcasts can be an engaging and fun way to get news, learn something new, or check out a great story. Saving your podcasts for when you're walking can help you add more movement and help you get more exercise.
- Walk while watching TV. If you’re in the habit of watching TV to unwind at the end of the day, consider adding some walking to your nightly routine. If you don't have a treadmill, consider looking into a walking pad—a small, foldable option that can help you increase your steps without shelling out for a major piece of gym equipment.
- Get up earlier. Getting up 15 minutes earlier to take a short walk before starting your day could add 1,000 to 2,000 steps to your daily routine, depending on how quickly you walk.
- Talk on the phone and walk. If you need to take a phone call, pop in your earbuds and walk the neighborhood while you talk.
If walking all of your steps at once feels daunting, break up your walks. Quick walks and workouts almost always feel less overwhelming than longer ones.
After looking for small places to add steps to your day, you may start noticing the benefits of increased activity. If you want more, consider these more detailed steps.
1. Get into a routine
A routine is the key to being more active. Once you’re in the habit of moving more, you’ll find it easier to get a higher step count each day.
Researchers at MIT found that the cue-routine-reward system is highly effective at building neurological connections that make something into a habit.
To do this, you need:
- Cue - A cue triggers your brain to get into workout mode. For instance, if you want to work out in the morning, your morning alarm could be your cue. Tie the activity into the cue regularly until it becomes a habit.
- Routine - Next, make it a routine. The routine is a habit or action that you do repeatedly, such as heading out for your walk.
- Reward - The reward is something tangible that makes you feel good about doing the activity. Sometimes, all you need is the endorphins your body makes. However, some people need a more tangible reward. At Evidation, we put your rewards on autopilot. After you hit a reward threshold, you'll be able to turn in your points for gift cards or cash rewards.
If you go through the cue-routine-reward cycle multiple times, you’re likely to build a habit. Soon, walking will be something you're so used to, you don't even think about it, and you're getting your steps in on a more regular basis.
Habit stacking can also work well. To do this, stack your walking habits with something you already do every day. Since the first item is already a routine, you'll be able to add the new one more easily.
For instance, if you listen to a certain playlist daily, grab some earbuds and listen while you walk. You’ll add steps more quickly and not have to add something new to your daily routine.
2. Start small and build
Choosing an overwhelming goal is one of the mistakes many people make when starting new exercise routines. Instead of taking on a large goal, start with increasing your steps in small increments each week, until you see yourself with a large jump in the number of steps you’re taking.
Start with adding an evening or morning walk, using the routine building system mentioned above. Once that’s a habit, add another walk at another time of day. Soon you’ll be closer to reaching your step goals by building a little at a time.
3. Build walking into your workday
Are there places in your workday where you can be active?
This doesn't necessarily have to look like taking a mile walk on your lunch break. Small changes add steps to your day and reduce the amount of time you spend sitting at your desk.
For instance, instead of sending an email to your coworker, walk across the office to talk in person. When you have a one-on-one meeting, if it doesn't require a computer, have the meeting while you and your coworkers take a walk.
4. Grab a friend
You’ll be more likely to stick with your walking goals if you do it with a friend. Having a friend will be an accountability piece, and you’ll find the walk more enjoyable as you socialize.
While the goal of getting more steps doesn't have anything to do with intensity, you might find that you walk faster and get more cardio in along with your steps, and you track more in a shorter period of time. Check out more ideas for increasing your cardiovascular health while you’re also working to increase your steps.
How many steps per day should I walk to achieve better health?
There’s no evidence or research that shows 10,000 steps is the optimal walking goal for health. In fact, the magic number of steps for one person may be different from another’s.
But that doesn’t change the fact that more steps could be better. What’s true is that walking more carries many health benefits.
If you’re getting 2,000 steps a day, increasing to 5,000 steps is going to improve your strength and cardiovascular health. If you add a beneficial yoga routine to your exercise routine, and get fewer steps, you’re still getting increased health benefits. The key is to get more active.
Whether that means you aim for 6,000 steps a day or 5,000, there’s no standard number that every single person should be aiming for. It changes based on several factors.
These factors include:
- Your current fitness and activity level
- Other activities you do to stay active
- Health conditions you might have
To determine the best step count to aim for, talk to your doctor, and then start walking!
Remember, the 10,000 step goal may be a bit of a health myth, but it has shed light on the fact that society lends itself toward sedentary living, and being more active is beneficial to your health.
Start getting rewards for tracking your steps with Evidation
At Evidation, we’re here to help you get the rewards you need to get active and take better care of your health. We make it easy and fun to stay active, and let you earn cash at the same time.
Evidation connects with multiple step-tracking apps to reward you for making positive changes to your health. Whether or not you choose to strive for 10,000 steps a day, you can get rewards for making active choices. Sync your step tracker with Evidation, and start earning points you can redeem for cash.
Get Your Cooking Game On
We know that being stuck indoors can be tough, but hopefully getting creative in the kitchen continues to be a fun pastime for many.
As we continue to be home during the coronavirus, we wanted to share another collection of snack ideas that you can make at home. We know that being stuck indoors can be tough, but hopefully getting creative in the kitchen continues to be a fun pastime for many.
- Try your hand at making a sweet or savory dip at home! Check out this greek cucumber yogurt dip from the Today Show or this three ingredient Healthy Honey Mustard Dip from the blog Cupcakes and Kale Chips.
- Experiment with no-bake bars like this No Bake Chocolate Oat Bar from All Recipes.
- Make your own cup of Dalgona Coffee (the Coronavirus trend that’s bringing out everyone’s internal barista)
- Test out the dessert that’s on the rise — make this three ingredient crème brûlée.
- Bring Disneyland to your home with Disney’s official homemade churro recipe.
- In the absence of a trip to Benihana’s, learn how to make this chicken fried rice at home.
- Check out Wacky cake. It’s an old favorite that came from the Depression when there was less access to ingredients. This cake only takes a few, simple ingredients.
- Have some Nutella handy in your pantry? Make these DIY Nutella pops with two other ingredients and a popsicle stick.
- Eat breakfast like one of the royal family by trying out Prince Charles’ famous cheesy baked eggs
- If you’re feeling fancy, you can also give Queen Elizabeth’s drop scones a try.
Oura Ring + Evidation = Match Made in Heaven
We know a big part of your Evidation experience is connecting apps and wearables to your account. Did you know here are more than 15 apps you can connect to help you earn points faster?
We know a big part of your Evidation experience is connecting apps and wearables to your account. To date, there are 15+ apps that you can connect to Evidation to track different activities that you take. For a reminder of which apps are available and where you can connect these apps to your experience, check out the Connect Apps page here.
We’re pleased today to share that the Oura Ring is now available to connect to Evidation. To connect your OURA ring and app, please follow these directions below:
- Log into the Evidation app or website > middle tab (apps section)
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2. Connect > Oura > Log in to OURA account
Note: it may take a few minutes to sync. If the app shows ‘not yet synced’
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Please go back to the middle tab and click down to refresh the app. If all dates did not retroactively sync, we recommend to disconnect the app from Evidation and reconnect.
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Can a furry friend help you cope with COVID?
You may be wondering, can owning a dog help you live a bit healthier? It turns out that new dog owners in general are a promising sign of better health!
We know that the last few months have put everyone into a new funk. Work, lifestyles, and exercise are all uniquely different than they may have been back when 2020 started.
That’s why we decided to look at how Evidation Members were resting and perhaps coping with some of these changes. To better understand our community, we decided to look at members who logged fitbit data in 2019 and 2020 between January and April to see if the pandemic was causing people to change up their nap schedule (hopefully for the better). Total number of naps per user per day were counted and the average nap count per day was calculated across our Evidation population. See the figure below:
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It appears that members are indeed napping far more than they were in 2019, beginning at about the time shelter in place orders began (which was around March 15, 2020, see grey in graph). On average, after shelter in place began, Evidation Members napped 14.37% more compared to the previous year during this time period. That’s many more naps! And hopefully, people are using this time to rest and recuperate.
We know that being mindful of sleep is one way people can take care of their health. However, we also observed in the news that fostering dogs has been at an all time high. It has become so popular that there’s even a waitlist.
So, in addition to users napping far more compared to last year, we delved more into what other things users are doing differently during this uncertain time. We released a survey a few weeks ago asking our members about their dogs, what type of relationship they have with their pets, and their activity habits with their pets. We received over 35,000 responses!
The first thing we wanted to know about our members and their pets was whether they had recently fostered a dog. It turns out that many people have begun to foster dogs, likely due to the pandemic. In total, 1,500+ Achievers indicated that they fostered their dog in between February and April of this year. Compare that to only 450+ Achievers during that time period last year. It definitely appears that the pandemic is causing people to go out and lend a helping hand to a homeless dog.
Of the people who recently fostered a dog, 55% indicated that they are now working from home due to the coronavirus. 39% said that they are still going into work, and 5% indicated that they had worked at home prior to the pandemic. These newly remote workers appear to be helping keep these shelters empty.
You may be wondering, can owning a dog help you live a bit healthier? It turns out that new dog owners in general are a promising sign of better health! For those that got their dog in 2019 or 2020, we found that members walk on average about 350 steps more per day, comparing the 30 days prior to getting a dog with the 30 days post getting a dog. Even in pandemic times (though members are walking far less than their 2019 dog owner counterparts, by about 1000 steps per day for those that got their dogs in March and April), members with new dogs are getting a 200 step increase in steps pre vs post dog ownership! Of course, this is expected, and we’re happy to report that dogs can help you get more steps. This trend turned out to be especially true for the older folks in our population. The 50+ population increased their steps by about 500 steps on average, compared to the ~200 step increase for those who are less than 50. Take a look:
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Another interesting question we asked our members was whether or not they sleep with their pets and how often per week they sleep with their pets. While we didn’t see a necessary difference in sleep quality or total time when our members had their dog buddies snoozing with them, we did see many people report that they sleep next to their dogs. In fact, 73% of Evidation Members said they nap or sleep next to their dog, at least once per week. For members who said they nap or sleep next to their dog, over 19,000 reported to nap or sleep next to their dog at least 4 times a week! This may sound surprising for the folks who may not have furry pals, but many can attest that sleeping next to their dogs can be a comforting ritual.
The last thing we wanted to explore was whether we could learn anything about our members who had reported that having a dog had helped them manage with their health-condition (heart condition, limited mobility, etc). We found that 1000+ members agreed that having a dog helped. It seemed as though having a furry friend was very helpful for emotional support and well being. We did not find any concrete information around managing conditions, but were glad to hear that those who had self reported with many conditions (specifically anxiety, asthma, chronic pain, depression, diabetes, high cholesterol, hypertension and migraines) and who had a higher resting heart rate found having a pet to be supportive.
5 Ways to Live a Climate-Friendly Lifestyle While Sheltering In Place
5 tips to help you lead a more climate-friendly lifestyle all while safely sheltering in place!
This week, we celebrated Earth Day on April 22nd. While this year brought a fresh perspective on the day, we still found some great ideas on how to be involved even if some swaps to celebrations meant staying indoors.
We hope that these tips will help you lead a more climate-friendly lifestyle all while safely sheltering in place!
- NASA created all kinds of resources online to give Earth Day the proper 50th year celebration it deserved. Check out everything from satellite views of the planet to global archives of photos capturing hurricanes, wildfires, icebergs and more!
- Try planting something and create a little garden. For simple tips, read more in this USA Today Article.
- Experiment with a plant based meal. If you have a sweet tooth, check out these quick, easy swaps.
- Make a grocery list via any of these apps (AnyList, Mealime, Bring! to name a few) to more easily keep track of home food needs.
- Small actions can have a big impact! Switch to paperless bank statements where you can and make sure to unplug electronic devices and appliances when you aren’t using them around your home.
Give the Happiness Project Podcast a Listen
Check out The Happiness Lab podcast by Dr. Laurie Santos
Given how tumultuous a time it has been for all, we found this podcast with episodes that will lift your spirits. The Happiness Lab podcast is narrated by Dr. Laurie Santos who is a Yale professor who teaches a class called “Psychology and the Good Life.” Through various episodes, Dr. Santos references the latest, relevant scientific research and relates them to everyday experiences and some unusual moments.
In this specific series, she’s curated a variety of content related to coping with the coronavirus. We found a lot of the commentary relatable and useful.
The content specific to coronavirus includes the following:
- Beat Your Isolation Loneliness
- Coach Yourself Through a Crisis
- Rising to a Challenge
- Calm Can Be Contagious
- Help Others to Help Yourself
- Keep Your Relationship Happy
- Checking in with Susan David
Susan David is a Psychologist at Harvard Medical School who offers ways to manage fear and panic through healthy strategies that anyone can adopt. - Laurie’s Personal Tips
How Evidation Members Are Hacking Together Home Workouts
Exercise tips, routines, and links to favorite home workout videos from our Evidation Memebers
Though many people generally exercise at home, we know that there are many others who have had to recreate their regular exercise habits during this time of sheltering in place. We polled our Evidation community, and 70% of members who responded said they have been finding new ways to exercise or stay active during the coronavirus pandemic. We then asked our members to share some of their exercise tips, routines, and links to their favorite home workout videos and helpful stretches to inspire others.
Here are a few ways you can exercise at home:
- If you do not have a home gym set up or any weights, you can find ways to use household items to get a great exercise in.
- Similarly, instead of buying separate weights to create your own home gym, you can also purchase exercise video games for the whole family to join on the fun.
- Online videos and streaming sites like YouTube are common places that Achievers are getting exercise routines from. Here’s a list of fitness gyms and studios that are offering free classes.
- Fitness apps like Fitbit or MyFitnessPal also offer exercise tips for at home workouts and is also an easy way to keep track of your progress as well.
- Pinterest has been a popular site for inspiration and tips since Achievers are able to pin multiple resources to one place. Here’s an example of the many you can find.
- Zumba is an exercise-dance program that has been great to do in groups or by yourself. Here’s a resource to do Zumba at home.
- You can search social media platforms to find inspiring fitness instructors or live exercise sessions. Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, or Snapchat are easy places to start!
- Create your own workout routine or do the alphabet challenge by doing bodyweight exercises that spell out your name. You can start out with your name, your pet’s name, or anyone else in your household!
- If you’re looking for other ways to get your cardio in, you can try jump rope exercises. It’s a simple, but effective way to increase your heart rate and work out multiple areas.
- Another helpful exercise is stretching your muscles, it’s a great way to start or end your exercise session.
- For Achievers who may have limited mobility or who have chronic pain, these exercises and stretches are a great way to keep your body moving.
- If you’re looking for other ways to improve your flexibility or range of motion, yoga and pilates can be a fun way to stretch your muscles. It’s great for anyone at any difficulty level!
- Other exercises like barre offer a mixture of isometric holds to increase strength and also improve posture. Barre also requires little to no equipment!
- Whether you own a regular bike or a stationary bike, biking is one exercise that is easy on the joints and helps reduce stress. Here’s a few tips on how to make biking more fun.
- Practicing tai chi and breathing exercises offers many benefits for both your mental and physical health. You can stream videos to follow along and do them on your own once you learn the motion.
Take Two: Creative Coronavirus Meals
We've had so many great community submissions that we wanted to round up a few more to share in our second recipe digest.
Coronavirus has changed our usual cooking routine! We hope that turning to the kitchen to try a new recipe has helped create some calm during an otherwise crazy time. We had so many great community submissions last week that we wanted to round up a few more to share in our second recipe digest.
Chicken Centered Recipes:
- Chicken Bread Recipe
- Spicy Basil Thai Chicken
- Baked Lemon Garlic Chicken
- Chicken Salad
- One Pot Creamy Chicken Tortellini
Veggie Friendly Meals:
- Cauliflower Mac and Cheese
- Socca Pizza with Sun-dried Tomatoes and Pesto
- Easy Hummus
- Chickpea and Spinach Curry
- Paleo Sweet Potato Toast
- BBQ Jackfruit Sandwiches with Avocado Slaw
- Black Bean Sweet Potato Enchiladas
Baking Goodness:
- 3 Ingredient Flatbread
- 30 minute dinner rolls
- Banana Bread and an oatmeal banana bread variety (for an extra twist banana coffee cake!)
- Creamy 1 ingredient banana ice cream
- Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Breakfast Squares
- Chocolate Peanut Butter No Bakes
As a reminder, we’ve pinned all of these to our Creative Coronavirus Meals board on Pinterest.
The Impact of Coronavirus on Cooking
We're blown away by the number of recipes our members have shared with us, so we decided that to reveal a series of recipes over the next few weeks.
We recently polled our community to ask if they had become more creative with their meals since the coronavirus. We heard back and 55% of members who responded said yes. We then followed up to see what types of recipes and food hacks are keeping them happy and healthy during this time.
We were overwhelmed by the number of recipes shared, so we decided that we’ll reveal a series of recipes over the next few weeks. We’ll curate all of our top community picks on our Creative Coronavirus Meals Pinterest board.
For our first edition of crowdsourced favorites, check out these go-to easy bites and soothing soups.
Go-To Easy Bites:
- Deviled Eggs
- 15 Pantry Recipes for Emergency Preparedness
- Self-Quarantine Recipes from the New York Times
- 5 ingredients or less high protein smoothies! (+a green smoothie)
- Easy Overnight Oats
Soothing Soups:
Vegetarian:
- Rosemary Garlic White Bean Soup
- Mexican Lentil Soup
- Alison Roman’s Chickpea Stew
- Spicy Instant Pot Taco Soup
- Cabbage Soup
Non-Vegetarian:
- Thai Red Curry Noodle Soup
- Quick and Easy Chinese Noodle Soup
- Zuppa Toscana Soup
- Cabbage Roll Soup Recipe
- Buffalo Black Bean Chilli
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Self-Care Tips from our Evidation Members
We know that together we can always achieve more. That’s why we were glad to hear from so many members when we sent out a poll about self-care tips during coronavirus.
We know that together we can always achieve more. That’s why we were glad to hear from so many members when we sent out a poll about self-care tips during coronavirus.
We received over 75,000 responses and decided to consolidate some of the top themes we saw across our community to gauge how Evidation Members were practicing self-care during this time.
Here’s a list of the top 20 activities and suggestions that we saw!
- Make sure to eat and drink immune boosting food and beverages. For a list of suggestions, check out this article from CNN Health.
Teaser: Carrots, kale, and apricot are good sources of beta carotene and oranges, strawberries, and broccoli are good sources of Vitamin C. - Take the time that you need when possible to squeeze in a nap to get enough rest.
- Make a morning and evening routine to help create some structure during your day.
- Watch a comedy show to make sure to create laughter during your day. Check out some of the top stand up comedy shows on Netflix.
- Create a gratitude list or even download a Gratitude Journal app to document positive things that happen throughout your day.
- Take out your favorite board game to play with friends or family. Check out a few ideas here!
- Plant some seeds or work on a gardening project. Watch this YouTube video from Epic Gardening for ideas (including how to use a water bottle to make a container garden)
- Take a long bath and grab a face mask or two! If you’re feeling adventurous, you can make a natural face mask with ingredients at home.
- Check out one of these online resources to print out coloring books to take a mini break in the middle of your day.
- Spend time catching up on reading. If you’re a parent, check out some free content and stories that Audible has made available here.
- Stretch daily! Here’s a quick yoga video for when you need a mid work-day break.
- Work towards a goal even if you’re stuck indoors. For example, try a new recipe every week or make it a point to connect via video chat with a friend or family member every few days.
- Up your podcast game! Check out this list from Esquire on top 2020 podcasts to listen to.
- Find a class that you can take online! Here’s a list of popular classes from Coursera that are available for free online.
- For parents — rally kids together to write chalk messages on the sidewalk! We’ve heard about neighborhoods spreading positivity to others through sidewalk chalk messages, and we’re inspired by trending #chalkwalks.
- Try a crafting project like knitting or crocheting to calm your nerves. Check out this tutorial on how to learn how to knit.
- Limit your news intake. Try and stay updated, but not inundated with new stories.
- Be sure to drink lots of water!
- Have a dance party at home or virtually with co-workers! Our team has a weekly 5-minute dance party.
- Jump on the jigsaw puzzle bandwagon. Grab a puzzle from your local bookstore.