Hello again. I hope this post finds you in the best of spirits.
Dealing with downtime must have hopefully gotten easier for you along the way if you’ve been following the blog. Downtime is actually a concept I’ve been using unknowingly for the past two years myself and somewhere along the way I realised all the good it was doing me.
It’s only recently that I have put this practise down in form of a concept and now I use it actively, decisively. I personally indulge in a lot of self-introspection and like to keep in touch with my feelings. Hence, downtime is essential and fruitful for me in ways more than one.
This is just my earnest effort to spread the word regarding its benefits and I hope that some of you are able to avail all the good it has to offer.
Downtime, of any category basically is time that we actively spend alone, with ourselves to make ourselves feel better. If you’re someone who is very comfortable with spending time alone, thinking of how to spend your downtime shouldn’t be much of a problem for you. But if you need ideas or options, that’s what I’ve come up with for this post.
Most of these have been tried, tested and now are being recommended by me.
How to spend your Downtime:
1) Clear space, clear mind
When a space is clean and free of clutter, you automatically feel calmer. And if you’ve personally worked on that space to make it the way it looks, you have a sense of ownership, a sense of belonging established with that space. So go ahead, get rid of the things you’re getting no use of, clean out the desk and wardrobe you’ve been meaning to; add a few handmade decorations, own up the space. Even if, after your cleaning, the space ends up looking just the same, you’ll end up perceiving it differently because now you’ll have an association with it.
2) The downpour on paper
Whether or not you maintain a journal otherwise, sit with yourself in a cosy spot, with a soothing beverage and a pen in hand. Ask yourself how you’re feeling and let the answers flow onto paper. There is nothing more relaxing than venting out to yourself because then, the feelings can come out unmasked. All of us are guilty of having certain negative feelings that we would never admit in front of anyone else, but who’s judging when you’re by yourself? Let all of that guilt out, let all of these feelings come out. That’s probably the only way these feelings will leave you. Let them.
3) Run at the salad!
If you’re dealing with stress and you need your ‘feel good’s again real soon, go on and make the healthier choice you were dreading but you know you need to make. Go for a run with music blaring in your ears and calm yourself down. Substitute your ‘binge eat’ foods for fresh fruit and smoothies and salads. Prepping these yourself and making a big deal out of them, making these dishes look aesthetic involves us in the process of making this healthier choice and we’re able to reap better results.
4) It’s a good Hobby-it
Maybe you indulge in your hobbies regularly or maybe you don’t. But no one’s going to be a better friend of yours right now. Pick up that book, play that guitar and do whatever it is that is not usually included in these clichéd hobbies list. You’ll probably realise how much you’ve missed it and then you can actively include it in your routine.
5) Time turner
As a person who loves experimenting with scheduling and planning, I highly recommend this with all my enthusiasm. Chances are, that you are feeling the need for a break because your current schedule or routine isn’t working out for you. So go ahead, make a few changes. Try out different techniques like calendar blocking, habit tracking, etc. There’s countless ways for you to reorganise your life and you aren’t going to find your suitable method unless you experiment. So why not give it a shot?
6) More oxygen than usual
Spending most of our time indoors, we’re likely to carry some stress with us. So go out, spend some time outdoors amidst nature or if not, even amidst the potted plants in your balcony is fine! Whatever suits you. If you’re unable to go outdoors or if that’s not what you’d prefer, sit in some natural light in your own home and breathe deeply. I wouldn’t go at the length of preaching meditation because I haven’t experimented with it yet and I get it; it’s not easy for all of us. So don’t force yourself. If you can meditate, great! If not, let’s calm ourselves down with a few deep breaths. Works wonders.
7) Sinful indulgence
Maybe making the healthier choice or sitting down just by yourself is not just ‘you’. That’s completely okay! Go out shopping if you think that’s going to make you feel better. Treat yourself with your favourite dinner followed by dessert. Downtime doesn’t mean you turn into a saint. It’s all about feeling better no? As long as it’s within limits, why not go for it?
8) Dolce far niente
The joy of doing nothing!
This can be a little tough for some, but its one of the best things to try out. Doing nothing can be so relieving. It can drain you of all the negativity that's stuffed inside of you and help you get back on your feet for 'doing'.
I’m pretty sure I’ve missed out on a lot of things, but I guess these are enough to get you started. So go ahead and give them a shot and let me know how that works out for you. I hope that downtime does you as good as it does to me.
If there are some other things that have been working out for you, do share them!
I hope you have an amazing downtime! All the very best. Sending you all the love from this side.
See you soon!
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