I’ve really been enjoying the downtime I’ve taken for myself these past few weeks. I typically suffer from extreme burnout a few times a year but I’m trying to curb the number of episodes I have by keeping myself in check. Here, I’ve complied a list of suggestions I have found to be instrumental in effectively handling the (un/)neccessary stressors of everyday life.
1. Cook Something
I celebrated Valentine’s Day with 2 of my favorite couples by cooking a delicious meal: tater tots, garlic bread, and Chana masala (I improvised a combination recipe between Smitten Kitchen’s and one that Amy, from Red Raven Studios, had made for me). My friend, Julie, brought over angel food cake with fresh, sugar-strawberries –which we plated in cute and hilarious ways! The outcome was warm, delicious, and definitely in the spirit of showing others how you care for them. Spending time cooking food, whether for yourself or for friends, helps us break up the monotony of the week. Try cooking a recipe for something you’ve never made before. If you relish the time you spend shopping, prepping, cooking, and enjoying– you will feel more centered and won’t even mind the 1 million dirty dishes you’ve made.
2. Make Something
Make your bed. Make up your face. Make a game out of your bus ride (a friend of mine plays “Homeless Person or Art Student” when he rides the bus– classy, I know). Make coffee, with a french press. Make a decision. Make something for a friend (baked goods?). Make space and make someone more fashionable by cleaning out your closet and donating stuff to your favorite thrift store. Make out…if you have access to this activity. Make peace with something that’s bothering you. Make yourself happy by making something small and you will feel better for it.
3. Do Something
You know you’ve been putting off doing any number of tasks for various reasons. Heck, I have a neck-warmer I’ve been knitting for a friend since this time last year that I just can’t bring myself to finish. Well, now is the right moment for you to choose one attainable goal you can reach in a reasonable period of time and just do it. It’s common sense but you will feel awesome when you check that albatross off of your mental to-do list.
4. Write Something
Write an email to a friend. Write a haiku. Write on someone’s FB wall that you don’t talk to as much as you would like to. Write new lyrics to a catchy song you love. Write a fan letter to someone you admire. Write out your to do list and include fun things.Text your best friend with a funny memory. Write in your journal. Write on wall somewhere. Write a secret message and put it somewhere to be found later. Write your signature in different handwriting styles. Write out your favorite quote on a post-it and stick it somewhere.
Let’s reconnect with our own communication– both in form and in meaning.
5. Go Somewhere
It doesn’t have to be an official vacation. It doesn’t have to be for a long time. It doesn’t have to be exotic, far away, or expensive. What it does have to be is something different.
Yesterday, I walked around Lawrenceville for 20 minutes– just to get a break from being in my house and to pick up roller derby tickets. I walked through Wild Card, a store I don’t shop in enough, and Furnish, a new store I haven’t been in before. In my quick run-though, I mentally noted a few items I’m going to stop back and check out for upcoming birthdays and occasions. Go somewhere you haven’t gone before. What you find might surprise you.
6. Read Something
Read a magazine. Read your favorite book over. Read a book that you’ve had sitting around, collecting dust, that you’ve never gotten to. Read a blog you haven’t caught up on in a while. Read old emails. Read forgotten files on your computer. Read a local newspaper and learn something (see #8). Read a best seller. Read a trashy dimestore book. Read through your yearbook from grade school (if you have it).
7. Move Your Body
You don’t have to go for a sign up for 5k or get super sporty. You just need to do some simple moving around in a way you’re not used to. Try it. Either now or the next time you have some private time, do 15 jumping jacks. Try to do 5 push ups. Skip. Stretch. Move your blood and you will feel more focused and stoked for life.
When I’m getting ready for the day or, sometimes, in the shower, I do a downward-facing-dog yoga pose. It feels good. I used to jump rope when I needed to get out nervous energy. Yesterday, I went for a 1.5 mile “run” yesterday– which means, that I alternately sprinted, jogged, and walked for about 20 minutes while my laundry was going. Tonight I’m going roller skating.
Common knowledge, professional studies, and personal experience show that exercise and activity cure lots of body ales. From fatigue and aches to sleep cycles and hunger, moving around will help your body better regulate itself. If you’re taking a Time Out to love yourself, remember to love your body.
8. Learn Something
Teach yourself how to do something with video tutorials online. Go to IMDB and read about an actor or actress who you like. Use Wikipedia. Read a local paper. Listen to NPR. In this modern, technology age, information is openly shared and it’s up to you to ultilize it to be a smarter, more-informed person.
9. Try Something
If you’re like me, there are new experiences to be had and it’s not a matter of not wanting to. It’s probably a matter of time and money. Consciously deciding to “try something new” doesn’t have to default to shelling out for a new restaurant or dance class. It can be anything.
10. Tune In
Let’s face it. Listening to music, popping in a movie, or catching your favorite TV show can be really fun and freeing. Indulging in these moments can be your permission to just relax and enjoy being a receiver. We all need to put something on so we can shut off our brains for a while. That being said, media is also a tool for self-reflection that can help us understand ourselves better. Instead of plopping down and getting your zombie on, try watching something new and think about the messages coming across: whether it’s analyzing character development, bringing the moral of the story into a real-world context, or even just compare and contrasting the American and original version of your favorite TV show. This small brain activity will not only give you some much-needed down time but it will also make you feel (somewhat) productive.
