Not everyone enjoys being stuck at home all day every day. It’s good and healthy for your mind and well being to get out and exercise yourself and mind in a multitude of ways. Times are tough right now so leaving your house isn’t really an option like it once was. So, to keep yourself active and not be stuck in the same routine every day, adding creative outlets to your day can help your mood and headspace.
Whether it’s a magazine or a book you’ve been dying to read, taking a break in your day to open up a book and read can help you immensely. Especially if you have trouble falling asleep at night, reading something that isn’t on your phone can help you fall asleep faster. Reading books helps exercise your mind by using your imagination and taking a lighter toll on your brain. Reading something you enjoy and want to read is far better than reading something you have to. Plus, the feeling you get when you finish a book is beyond satisfying.
Coloring is also an amazing creative outlet. Whether you have coloring books and colored pencils or your favorite type of pen and are just doodling. Doing something mindlessly for even 20 minutes can give your brain a break to forget and zone out. Coloring can help distract you and you could end up being impressed with where your mind takes you when you put pen to paper. Even getting inspiration from the internet can give you a challenge that will keep your mind from thinking about reality.
Puzzles can be extremely daunting. However, if you work on it here and there it is an easy way to keep yourself occupied. Especially if you take a break and go back to it with a fresh mind you can look at it in a new way. This will help you put more pieces together and finish the puzzle. A super cool way to give your brain a break and support small businesses during this time is going and seeing if those people sell puzzles. If you’d prefer to not venture out of your home you can see if those small businesses have any sort of shipping option and can get it to you.
This sounds so basic, but it can really help. Getting outside in the fresh air can help you in more ways than you think. It’s also nice to feel comfortable in a place other than your home. Being outside and having something new to look at other than the same four walls you see every day can help relax your brain and mind. A way to make the walk go by faster or even help you walk for longer is to listen to music or your favorite podcast. A way of thinking and engaging that requires little to no work from you. It’s the best way to make yourself feel good about yourself. If you don’t want to go on a walk or can’t, sitting outside or opening the windows in your home can help achieve the some of the same effects as being outside and walking.
Plain and simple, take a nap. This is a super easy to pass the time that you have on your hands not being able to do anything. There really is no explanation to this one. If you cannot find any creative outlets or simply don’t want to just take a nap.
This could come in all different ways. But, taking the time to sit in silence and just focus on your breathing can help your brain recharge. The key to this is to not let your brain focus on much, which I know can be so hard especially when you’re just sitting in your own silence. If that is too difficult, maybe looking up and following a guided breathing can help. Or turning on soft instrumental music that can give you something to focus on if focusing solely on your breathing is too hard.
Another way to exercise your mind is journaling. This could mean writing down random thought, writing a creative story, asking yourself questions. etc.. The options here are virtually endless. You could write affirmations or a letter to someone you will never send. You could write about everything that has been making you angry or upset lately and get it all out on writing and never look at it again. Whatever you choose, choose an option that is creative and beneficial towards you. Your mind matters.
Watching the same movie over again, you begin to pick up on little details you forgot about or overlooked. It’s nice to notice these things because it gives you a new perspective on something that makes you happy. Cuddled up in your bed or the couch, turn on something you fully love and enjoy and forget the world for those 90 minutes. If you don’t have a favorite movie you could watch your favorite tv show or Youtuber. Anything that can occupy your time and make you laugh. It could even be watching videos you have saved on your phone that bring you happiness.
This can be hard for some people because someone you love you may have not gotten to see for the last few months. However, taking the time to dedicate a few moments to hear their voice and tell them you love and miss then can bring you utter happiness. It can get you hopeful for the future that soon when this is all over you will be able to see them and hug them again. Reminding people you love that you care about them can go so much farther than you think, especially during a time like this. In doing so, the person you love will reciprocate those feelings and hopefully give you that boost of serotonin you’ve been missing.
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