It’s that time of the year again, where you check your weather app and all it does is tell you to put a jacket on. The high gets up to 55 if you’re lucky, the low sits right around freezing, and you feel blessed if there’s less than a 50% chance of rain. Ahh yes, it’s fall in Oregon again.

As you walk to and from class, attempting to cheer yourself up because the overcast reminds you of the constant smoke from the forest fires this summer, we here at BD know that it won’t come as a surprise if you start to lose motivation to go out and enjoy our beautiful state. Because of this, we here at BD have come up with some of our favorite things to do when the weather gets tough.

1. Go exercise

With the shortening of daylight hours coupled with the nonstop clouds, we know that this may not sound like the most appealing option, but luckily, it works. While it is common knowledge that exercise can help improve your health, the reason it becomes even more important when the weather gets nasty is the endorphins your body releases during exercise, helping you keep an upbeat attitude. Being that you are already paying for the resources like Dixon or McAlexander Fieldhouse through your tuition, it only makes sense to get the most out of something you pay for.

2. Go out with friends

Grab some of your best friends and go explore Corvallis. Pick a different restaurant to go to every Wednesday afternoon with your friends. Hold a Friendsgiving where everyone finds something cool at one of the many Corvallis thrift shops to give to each other. Compare the many different coffee shops around Corvallis so you all know the best place to get your caffeine fix. Whatever you do, having some good company with you always makes an adventure better.

 3. Read a book

Now we don’t mean your textbook, because we know you’re already doing that. What we mean is find a good literature to explore. For many of us, the last time we may have sat down and read a good literature book was in our high school English class. Therefore, if you’re going to be forced to stay inside because of the weather, you might as well use your relaxation time to go on an adventure without even having to open your front door.

 4. Sit inside and watch a movie

On the days when you’re exhausted because you just finished your second round of midterms and finals are right around the corner, it’s okay to be lazy and just sit on the couch. With a multitude of streaming services just at your fingertips nowadays, we know that if you don’t have the energy to do anything else, sitting down to binge watch the entire season of Stranger Things 2 may be just the right medicine to help you beat the fall blues.

Photography by Danielle Dolson (via unsplash.com)