Friday, March 27, 2020 by Mary Lynne Bartlett
#Fridayfeeling, that wonderous feeling that washes over you as you leave work for the weekend. Unfortunately, due to our new reality, that feeling might seem like it is unattainable, but the Health Safety & Wellness Committee has ideas for fun and engaging ways for you to spend your time away from work.
We are social creatures, and as many of us know, library people like a good party (cake is always good), or reason to get together and socialize. We can’t do that in person for the time being, but it’s still really important to maintain connection and relationships with people even at a distance. One way our committee has done this is by creating teams based on interests for staff on Microsoft Teams. Look for an email with more detail on this initiative.
Another great way to relax in your spare time is through various free online activities. We’ve curated a list of activities that we think staff might be interested in tapping into.
Fitness
KW Pilates has released an at home pilates video to try at home, or you could try out one of the online workouts from UWaterloo Athletics. The YMCA also has free online classes!
Art
Sitting down and colouring can be really relaxing, as many of us know. Did you know that every year the Library submits colouring pages from Special Collections & Archives to the Color Our Collections event? Not only can you download UWaterloo specific colouring pages, but you can download from any of the other participating institutions!
Animals
By now the geese must have taken over campus and are ruling with an iron beak … well maybe not, but it was nice to watch the wildlife. A lot of zoos and aquariums are offering livestreams of the animals! So you can sit back and watch the animals from your computer. Who doesn’t want to see the penguins and polar bears?!?!
Puzzles
Puzzles are a great way to keep your mind sharp and relax. The Student Engagement Committee has been experimenting with creating online activities, and one such activity is an online photo puzzle. You can even make your own puzzles with pictures from your computer. If you enjoy escape rooms, check out this Harry Potter online escape room.
Check back next week for our next blog post with more of our findings of relaxing/fun/wellness related things to do in your spare time.
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