50 Ways to Enrich Time For Yourself

You know you should set aside time for yourself, but amid the demands of life, that’s hard to manage.  It’s been too long since you had any idea of what to do with yourself, anyway. Last time you tried to figure that out, it didn’t go well, and you wound up feeling disrupted and confused.

It’s human nature to avoid things we’re not good at, but in this case, that can lead to burnout. As with most things in life, having a plan can make a difference.  With this in mind, I’ve brainstormed a list of things I’d like to do in my down time.

50 Ways to Enrich Time for Yourself

Draw with the abandon of a child.
Fill a blank canvas with paint.
Sculpt with clay.
Do needlework.
Cook a gourmet meal for fun.
Practice calligraphy.
Play solitaire.
Watch a movie.
Fill a scrapbook.
Sew.
Write a letter or send a card.
Listen to a podcast.
Read an audio book.
Take a walk or hike.
Make jewelry.
Turn an unused corner into a book nook.
Make a gazing ball stand from an old lamp.
Bake bread.
Start a coin collection.
Start a stamp collection.
Design your own calendar.
Look at photographs.
Go to a museum.
Go for a drive.
Visit a place you’ve been wanting to see.
Go to the library.
Sit on a bench and listen to sounds of nature.
Enjoy a private tea party for one.
Soak in epsom salt.
Go window shopping.
Get your hands in the dirt in your garden.
Listen to classical music with the lights low and candles lit.
Ride your bicycle.
Mall walk.
Make a wreath for your front door.
Go on a volksmarch.
Build a clock from a kit.
Write in a journal.
Write a book.
Call a friend or family member who is free and willing to talk.
Put yourself to bed with a good book.
Give yourself a facial.
Decorate a bulletin board.
Read a magazine.
Star gaze.
Play on Pinterest.
Dance.
Watch old movies.
Do a crossword puzzle.
Look at maps and dream of places to travel.

Brainstorming Your Own List

Hopefully my list will spark some ideas for a list of your own. In How to Find Time for Yourself in a Busy Schedule, episode 3 of the Escape into A Simple Life podcast, I suggest looking backward to what you liked to do as a child. For me, it was playing in the dirt, which explains why I enjoy gardening now. I kept a notebook of brochures about interesting travel destinations solicited from chamber of commerces and tourism departments.  Travel is still important to me.

Besides informing your escape into a simple life, this blog serves as a working record of my own. I’m still learning and would love to know your thoughts on what to do with yourself during down time. What do you think of my list? Do you have any suggestions that might inspire me or another reader? I would truly love to read them.

©2014 by Janalyn Voigt

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