Out of the bubble and back to a new normal

Published Jun 29, 2021

We’re gradually being released, set free into the world, and getting back to a new kind of normal – hooray! As you step out into social settings beyond a 10-mile radius, consider how you can elevate the way you live.

Sure, life was unpredictable and didn’t always go your way, but you’re out of the bubble and ready to reimagine a new way of existing.

Get back to moving, one step at a time.

Shelter-in-place orders combined with the latest Netflix drop of binge-worthy shows have taken a toll on the American people in the form of weight gain. According to a cohort study by the University of California, San Francisco, half a pound every ten days resulted in a 20 pound weight gain for a survey of adults over the last year.

Never fear, we’re here to encourage you that small steps can yield big results.

The average American walked 3,000 to 4,000 steps a day (about 1.5 to 2 miles) before sheltering-in-place, so pushing the pause button on our daily activities already had us down almost two miles a day. Mayo Clinic contributor, Thom Rieck writes about the importance of a gradual increase in activity when trying to reach the recommended 150 minutes of moderate-intense exercise.

“You don't have to jump feet-first into the 150-minute goal,” said Rieck. “Start where you are and gradually increase your activity week by week.”

Increasing movement in your daily life can be as simple as taking a 5-minute walk after meetings or biking around your neighborhood. Or better yet, business innovator Nilofer Merchant encourages “walking meetings”.

“Nowadays people are sitting 9.3 hours a day, which is more than we're sleeping, at 7.7 hours,” said Merchant in her TED Talk. “Instead of going to coffee meetings or fluorescent-lit conference room meetings, I ask people to go on a walking meeting, to the tune of 20 to 30 miles a week.”

Now that’s life-changing!

You miss your people, so you’re taking advantage of get-togethers.

Perhaps you had a “Covid-bubble” of select people you came in contact with to socialize and support during shelter-in-place. And now, while you appreciate the people who helped keep you humanly connected – you want to burst out of the bubble.

Getting together with far-removed family and friends through casual meals is the perfect time to reconnect and share about what you’ve been up to. How about the “master gardener” skills you gained growing with your Gardyn? (Don’t worry, we won’t tell them about Kelby!) 


Researchers are also suggesting food is more than fuel in the case of socializing. In fact, breaking the same kind of bread according to Ayelet Fishbach at the University of Chicago brings people closer together and shapes trust.

“Food is about bringing something into the body. And to eat the same food suggests that we are both willing to bring the same thing into our bodies,” explains Fishbach in an interview with NPR. “People just feel closer to people who are eating the same food as they do. And then trust, cooperation, these are just consequences of feeling close to someone.”

Sharing a meal with the ones you love not only explores new flavors and tradition, but fresh food also establishes nutritional and emotional bonds that last. It’s hard to eat unified flavors when you’re out to eat, making Gardyn an easy solution to quick, flavorful meals when you and your friends land back home.

Your living space has become a true extension of your personality, and you want to boast about the new “you.”

What did you spend time upgrading or adding to your living space? Porch.com, an online marketplace connecting homeowners to contractors, reports home improvement spending is through the roof, with gardening at the top of the list.

And while outdoor landscaping surged, many more people relied on growing systems like Gardyn to provide fresh food options in smaller spaces, avoid the grocery store, and bring nature indoors.

Why not showcase your panache for whipping up nutritious meals and share Gardyn harvests with friends and neighbors? Host an al fresco dining experience that looked like it took hours to prepare, but really took seconds to cross the kitchen and hit the plate.

We all have the opportunity to create a new normal for ourselves, our families, our communities, and the planet. We hope you’ve been inspired to experience “tasty” living in what you consume through your five senses, focusing on what matters most.

How are you going to explore and enjoy your new normal?

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