I have been feeling very uninspired and “meh” like almost. So, naturally this blog is going to be about re-centering and finding value in things you haven’t thought about or in other words getting our minds some food for thought.
This blog is for anyone stuck in a rut, drained, surrounded by negativity and needs their inner child healing.
So here is a list of 3 things you haven’t thought about or done recently.
#1 Connecting With Nature
When was the last time you went out and rolled in the grass on a sunny day? Or when was the last time you sat under the shade of a tree silently listening to chirping of birds? Or that lady bug crawling up the grass?
I used to despise being out in parks. It was almost as if I was allergic (metaphorically) to any form or greenery. I didn’t find green healing or soothing like most others.
I think it was the post covid-19 affect because after all, during covid, the only place we could go semi-freely was a park or any green space in general.
But also… in Pakistan, where I spent most of my childhood, parks weren’t necessarily fun
(usually filled with teenage boys building a fort on the slides and little girls beside their mothers claiming all rights to the swings) or frequently visited and definitely not unaccompanied due to safety reasons.
However, summer 2024 really changed a lot. I saw a rise in my desire to go to parks, country side, longer walks, going for picnics and playing outdoor games, especially football or badminton.
I genuinely complained the whole time once when we forgot all the sports equipment at home. Yet nonetheless, playing trivia and gobbling a box of gummies with my siblings made even that park trip, without any equipment really fun and surprisingly the most memorable.
Anyways, back to my point, sitting outside and just noticing the patterns in nature, how different creatures communicate, or the different times at which flowers bloom can spark such interesting ideas and can be great food for thought.
Asking questions such as how the clamp shells grow or “I wonder why some mushrooms are edible and others aren’t?” can lead to eye opening discoveries and realization.
Why is it that us humans grab our phones or laptops when we need a distraction when we can step outside and quickly shift our attention to something positive?
Don’t get me wrong, in this UK weather, going out is usually not the best idea but as stupid as it seems, perhaps pausing and just listening to the sound of rain pouring and splashing on the rooftops might change our brain wiring more than a 30 second reel on Instagram.
So go get your bums off that couch and out the door you go.
Oh also… turn your Wi-Fi off!
#2 Set Your Goofiness Free
Ever wonder why kids are so happy? Well, that’s because they still have time and space for creativity. Actually, a lot of time and space. A LOT OF IT.
From my volunteering at a kid’s holiday club and spending more time than ever with children less then 8-year-olds, I have officially concluded that part of being a member of “young goofball club”, you need to be creative without a purpose really.
You need to be able to color, cut, paste and create, without worrying too much about the consequences. Sure, you may have a vague sense about your end results or that it should at least look like a seven-year-old made it and not three-year-old. But the end result has minimal impact on the fun you have during the process.
I can vouch for that because I am not an artist, nor naturally gifted at this skill. But I did grab a box of chalk from my local store. The art section in any grocery store will carry it by the way. And I went out and drew my heart out.
Here are some of my chalk drawing:
My friends always laugh that I am on the weirdest side quests and being creative and just surrounding myself with colors is by far the best side quest.
I in the previous years before GCSEs was really into crocheting and weaving. I even started my own business but alas, that didn’t last long. And to be fair it wasn’t that realistic or sustainable in the long run. But the point still remains. Being creative is the best outlet for your thoughts and feelings.
So I suggest the next time you go shopping add the following to your list:
Paint, paintbrush, canvas and a painting palette.
Or
If you would rather not get messy,
Get a coloring book and some color pencils and color your heart out.
Be as basic or as professional by adding depth and shade. No one’s judging, it’s not a competition. Very soothing and calming. Low risk and no consequences, unless you choose to splash paint all over your house.
Then it might be a problem.
You know what, as I write this, maybe go to the park and do a live drawing of the “great outdoors”. That’s a great way to connect with nature, being screen free and healing your inner child all at once.
Do more of what the “little you” would’ve done when there were no phones.
Also being creative doesn’t always mean colors and painting. It could be cooking, creating avatars on your switch, writing short stories, making a script or as I like, blogging.
Anything that creates new pathways of thinking and opens your heart and mind to new aspects of life is what being creative is all about. Anything that gives our brains something to think about deeply or nourishes it by giving it food for thought is pretty good to be honest.
#3 Clean Your Space
Right the last thing on my list is that I can almost guarantee that you haven’t thought about how your space is impacting the way you are feeling.
I may be feeling mediocre or agitated because my bed side table is a mess. The lanyard and the iPad are not placed correctly and the charging cables are swarming the top, leaving no place for my laptop after I am done writing this blog.
And my attention and focus span might be shortened because a pile of washed clothes have started to look like an island of fabric across from my bed. The three poofy jackets covering the now out of season summer dresses and tee-shirts.
This is my sign and if you are in the same position as I am, a sign for you that we need to declutter and reorganize our space.
The space you live in has a significant impact on how you feel.
Even to a point where if your photo gallery starts to fill up with duplicated pictures you might feel a lot overwhelmed and occupied.
Another reason I choose minimalism over maximalism. The simple and more organized things are for me the better. And people may have different interpretation of what minimalism or maximalism mean to them.
You can read more about this in the article “The Unbearable Heaviness of Clutter”. This goes into more detail about the impact of clutter on human psychology.
Also talking about wardrobe, what always helps me is to put together outfits before school starts or a season starts. It just helps me understand what clothing items of mine can still be styled and still fit me. I am definitely not keeping clothes a size too big or small and a color too highlighter like.
I do normally end up donating to charity or passing down my clothes to my sister. However, to not waste resources, I have also started intentional shopping. I guess my mum was right all along, and that I always needed to get stuff I’d actually wear.
This is also another way I like to declutter and prevent a lot of recourses from just lying around.
Anyways those are some of the things we have stopped thinking about. But there is a whole list of things, we constantly ignore and choose not to think about. Some of which are the current world affairs, reading a book, thinking about old memories and thinking about our extended family.
I will do a follow-up / part-two to this blog in a few weeks. In the mean while feel free to send me your ideas either through e-mail or writing in the comments below.
P.S if being stuck in a rut is looking more like an existential crisis, read my blog here on how to deal with it. 😉
Raniya