What Can I Do Today?

If you find yourself lucky enough to have a few hours or even a day to do whatever you want to do, it can often be tricky to avoid getting caught up with the usual housework or other grown-up behaviour. When you want to enjoy the moment or do something different, it can be difficult to think of what to do at the time. So why not create a list of activities you want to do or try, when you have free time. These activities could be anything from being in the moment or doing something for your own wellbeing, or trying something new you’ve always wanted to do.

I’ve given you some ideas below to get you started:

Vision board – create a vision for your life, it may be for the year you are in or it could be for the years to come. Get some old magazine and start cutting out words, phrases or headlines along with pictures or photos that resonate with you and inspire you. This is your space to be as creative as you want, you just need some paper or card and glue and then you can start cutting and sticking! You could add glitter to give it some added sparkle. It can be inspiring to see where you want to go in your life and perhaps your vision board shows the journey you will make. Remember, you can create a new one anytime you want, you may even add to the one you have.

Listen to a podcast – there are so many to listen to, from comedies, wellbeing, world politics, review shows, take a look over the top 10 and give them a go, if you don’t like one, there are so many others to listen to that you will soon find some you like. The trouble is, you can end up finding so many you like that you don’t have time for anything else!

Walk – I know I say it all the time, but walking is amazing as it is so good for you to be out in the fresh air. You may see things you have never noticed before. It could be as simple as noticing the trees through the seasons or the birds flying around, or even the dogs being walked. Getting out in the fresh air is so important as it really does help you feel better, go out for 20 minutes and you will notice the difference. If you are walking through the woods or by the coast or near a river or loch stop every so often and just notice your surroundings and breathe in deep.

Grab a blanket – get cosy and snuggle up and watch your favourite film or TV show or read your favourite book. It doesn’t matter what it is, it’s all about comfort so make your favourite hot drink, wrap up in your blanket and settle in to laugh, cry and smile at your favourite film or book.

Learn – Do you want to learn an instrument or a language or how to make a good paella? Then look around for a local music group or a cooking class or watch YouTube and learn from there. There are many language apps you can use which are free, so what have you got to lose?

Do some DIY – why on earth would I want to do that you may be wondering? Well this is all about being in the moment and having to concentrate on what you are doing. You want to make a good job of putting shelves up or hanging pictures or painting a room that you are going to ensure it is done to a good standard.

Dance – around your living room or kitchen, stick some good tunes on and dance like no-one is watching and if they are who cares, tell them to join in too.

Bake a cake – spend time and enjoy mixing the ingredients and making it. You could make one large cake and decorate it and slice into it, admiring all your good work and then have a cuppa and enjoy every mouthful. Really savour the flavour, the texture and the smell of it. Make it a ritual. Enjoy that 15 minutes or so as you sip your tea and eat your cake.

Draw – the chances are you don’t often pick up a pen or pencils to be creative. Why not grab a packet of kids colouring pencils and start to draw. It really doesn’t need to be a masterpiece – it is your art your way. Who knows, you may surprise yourself. Why not stick it on the fridge once you’ve completed!

Go on an adventure – why not hop on a bus or train and go and explore somewhere new. It will get you out of the house and finding out about somewhere you’ve not been. You don’t need to go for miles, go to the next town or village from where you live. You may have been there many a time before but is there somewhere you haven’t been such as a park or visiting the historic sites. Pack a picnic and see where the day takes you. You may even discover some interesting places.

Write a chapter of the book you’ve always wanted to write. Don’t think too much, just start writing. You can go back and edit as you need but try writing as much as you can of the first chapter. In fact it doesn’t need to be the first chapter, it could be chapter 7. Just write and see where it takes you. You never know, it may be the start of a new chapter in your life.

There are so many more activities to do when you have nothing to do. We spend so much time doing adult things when we are not working that we shouldn’t feel guilty for wanting to do something of our choosing when we have time to ourselves. The washing/vacuuming/cleaning can wait, so give yourself permission to do something fun today or when you next have time to yourself.

Thank you for reading, have a great week and look after you.

Love Emma xx