There are so many little things you can do to change your daily routine; breaking up the monotonous patterns in your life and changing things up a bit is honestly one of the easiest and gratifying things you can do for yourself (treat yo self, to a new experience).
I like to occasionally (or more than occasionally…) act on impulse and just do whatever it is that I feel like doing, whether its cartwheeling out of the blue or running into a sprinkler (yes my neighbors think I’m insane). And while I don’t necessarily suggest doing things that deviate from societal norms all the time (at least in public, we do have a thin facade of normality to keep up here), or making those around you uncomfortable there are plenty of things one can do on their own that are just cool experiences (try something new dammit).
Here are 5 things I am challenging you to do. Just for fun. (with all of these try to keep off the phones or other electronics, music is one thing but for these activities the focus is the experience itself, not the documentation of it).
- Shower/Bath in the Dark: (Disclaimer, baths and showers are slippery, please don’t die) I feel like this is probably one of my favorite ones, just turn off the lights, make sure there are no sounds or music either and just soak. I find that you become more aware of the sounds of the water and the sensations of the waves or shower stream. It is an incredibly relaxing (but also seriously neat) experience.
- Play in the Rain, Get Soaked: Next time it starts raining real hard wherever you may be (within reason, if its dangerous stay inside) run outside! Play music and dance, watch the rain trickle down plants, breathe in the air (its smells like, well, rain), feel the water saturate your clothes and hair and revel in the feeling of it. (Expert Mode: do all that, barefoot. Squelch water and mud between your toes, actively stomp in puddles. Just be safe and clean off afterwards).
- 48 Hours without Human Interaction: OK this one can be difficult to do (especially since you aren’t supposed to text or communicate through social media either) and isn’t entirely feasible for some people; but especially if you have a serious dilemma, or are stressed it can be very clarifying to GET AWAY FROM IT ALL. If you turn to others for advice a lot, their voices can sway or even block out the voice in your head. Limiting all human interaction (of your own free will and volition) for a defined period of time) can be like hitting a mental reset button. Allowing you to regroup your thoughts and properly process other peoples advice, major events in your life, etc…
- Finger Paint: but don’t just sit down and neatly create a flower or cloud with your little finger blobs, GET MESSY. Use your whole hand when you paint, mix up colors, go abstract with your art. Allow yourself and your work space (and maybe even your artwork) to get chaotic and disorganized. Let yourself lose control while doing a safe and non destructive or harmful activity. Spend at least an hour actively creating, it will stimulate your mind and can be super therapeutic.
- Take a Night-Walk: (again be safe y’all) and no, drunken 3 am stumble-walks back to your dorm room do not count. This one is fun with good music, and depending on the music the outcome of the walk changes! Just get outside when its pretty late and the streets are largely empty and wander, the empty streets, twinkly stars, beautiful nature sounds that you can actually hear due to the absence of road noise, (also its not hot) all come together to form one of the nicest and most relaxing walking environments. This is a good time to confront things you’ve been trying not to deal with mentally, or to honestly reflect on your life and feelings.
Most of these are fun for me because they all include elements of solitude, self reflection, and focus on bodily senses. I would advise you to try few and essentially find what it is that you like that is more out of the ordinary and relaxes you. (If you already have a few or want to share just contact me! I am always up for new experiences!)
Extraordinarily Ordinary 