Don't forget about fun!

Life can be really tough! It's easy to feel weighed down by the pressures and stress of everyday life, so much so that we lose sight of what we find fun and playful. If our emotions feel heavy, our minds are too busy, or our body feels too stagnant, this list can inspire us to reconnect to our favorite joyful experiences. Please tune into yourself mindfully as your explore these activities with your best health, safety, and wellness in mind.

An Epic List of Enjoyable Activities!

This list is here for inspiration but it can be helpful to make your own list with activities you most enjoy doing

• Go outside and spend time in nature. What colors, sounds, smells, sensations, and living creatures can you observe outside?
• Go for a drive in your car or take public transportation to somewhere interesting (idea: visit a downtown area and window shop)
• Get out of the house. Where’s someplace you enjoy visiting?
• Go visit a local friend
• Call a friend and talk on the phone
• Invite a friend to come over to your place
• Make a meal together with a friend or family member
• Chat with friends online (safely)
• Send a friend an appreciative text or a silly video
• Post positive or reflective comments on your favorite online media
• Organize a party for a friend, a family member, or for yourself
• Plan a trip (idea: visit someplace new)
• Go to the gym (idea: join a group class)
• Workout at home (idea: look up a workout online
• Workout with a friend
• Go for a jog around the neighborhood (safely)
• Lift weights
• Ride a bike
• Do yoga or stretch your muscles.
• Go swimming
• Go hiking or walking
• Try an exciting sport (ie: rock climbing, kayaking, skiing, surfing, roller blading, skating, etc. What activity have you always wanted to learn?
• Join a group game/sport being played at your local park or gym
• Play a sport by yourself (ie: shooting hoops, playing billiards, bowling, kicking a ball, skating, even just hitting a ball against a wall)
• Go to a sporting event
• Play a game by yourself (ie: solitaire, video games, online games, phone games)
• Make up your own game and rules
• Play a game with others (in person or online)
• Work on a challenging puzzle
• Watch funny videos
• Read funny comics or memes
• Watch a funny or favorite movie
• Go to a movie theater to see what’s currently playing
• Memorize lines from your favorite, movies, shows, or songs
• Listen to music (idea: find new music)
• Organize your music into playlists
• Dance (personal favorite ☺️)
• Make your own music (ie: music-making software, play an instrument, tap around with your hands to make a beat)
• Sing (idea: learn how to sing with a coach in-person or online)
• Write song lyrics
• Write poetry
• Write a letter to a friend or family member
• Send a care package to a friend or family member
• Write a letter to someone who has made your life better and tell them why (idea: just write it out, you don’t have to send the letter)
• Write a story
• Write a script for a movie or play
• Write about the wildest, funniest, silliest, sexiest, or most positive thing that ever happened to you
• Write things you like about yourself on a photo of yourself
• Write a loving and kind letter of appreciation to yourself. Keep it to look at the next time you’re upset.
• Make a list of 10 things you’re good at (idea: save this list to look at the next time you’re upset)
• Read your favorite book, magazine, blog, or poem
• Read a new book
• Listen to an audiobook
• Masturbate
• Have sex with someone you care about
• Make a list of people you admire (real or fictional characters). What do you admire about them?
• Make a list of 10 celebrities you’d like to be friends with. What would you do as friends?
• Read or watch celebrity news
• Visit your favorite websites (mindfully tune in if these sites are healthy for your energy)
• Explore the internet (safely) to find interesting/informative sites
• Build your own website
• Create an online blog
• Keep a digital journal (idea: write about your feelings, thoughts, or what your experienced today).
• Post something positive on social media
• Join a healthy community (ie: fitness group, hiking group, meditation group, book club, etc)
• Buy something online (please be mindful of what's appropriate and healthy for your budget)
• Sell or donate something you don’t want/need
• Go shopping locally (ie: farmer's markets, thrift stores, local businesses)

• Go grocery shopping and buy a mindful treat 
• Make or buy a smoothie
• Make or buy fresh pressed juice
• Eat a ripe piece of fruit (idea: exotic fruits like soursop, cherimoya, passionfruit, guava)
• Go out to a restaurant (idea: your fav spot or someplace new)
• Eat your favorite food
• Try a new food
• Cook your favorite meal
• Cook a recipe or food you’ve never tried before (idea: look up recipes online)
• Eat something sweet, (idea: healthy 2 ingredient banana ice cream)
• Drink some water (idea: add fresh-squeezed lemon)
• Take a cooking class
• Take an art class (ie: sketching, painting, pottery)
• Learn how to knit, crochet, or sew (idea: make something to gift to a friend)
• Sign up for a class that sounds exciting to you (ie: look at your local college, education centers, or online)
• Study a new language (idea: Duolingo is a fun language learning app)
• Make a scrapbook with pictures and keepsakes
• Focus on a coloring book
• Sketch something you love
• Doodle or scribble (idea: scribble then make something out of the shape)
• Experiment with paint and other artistic mediums (my favs are watercolor, gouache, and pastels) 
• Make digital art (my favorite program: Procreate on the iPad)
• Make something handmade for a friend or family member
• Make a video with your phone or camera
• Try photography. What new perspectives can you see through a camera lens?
• Participate in your local theater group
• Sing in a group, band, or choir
• Join a club
• Offer to volunteer at your favorite non-profits or businesses
• Go to the library
• Go to a local plant nursery
• Go to a bookstore
• Go to a coffee shop or a tea house.
• Go to the mall or other public place to people watch
• Visit a museum or local art gallery (personal fav)
• Visit a place of worship 
• Connect with your higher power
• Explore local meditation centers (ie: sangha)
• Join a sangha (local or online)
• Meditate (idea: try different styles)
• Breathe mindfully
• Take a warm shower
• Take a bubble bath
• Take a sauna (available at some gyms)
• Get a massage
• Get a facial or spa treatment
• Give yourself spa treatment at home (idea: face masks, )
• Special care for your hygiene (ie: skin care, dry brushing, hair and body moisturizing)
• Paint your nails a fun color
• Try a new hair style or color
• Get a fresh haircut
• Try wearing a wig (idea: try a funky color like blue or purple)
• Plant a garden
• Work on a project outside 
• Clean your space
• Organize your space. What needs to be thrown away/donated?
• Organize your digital files (ie: photo organization, recipes, etc)
• Do a home-improvement project
• Clean your vehicle or bike
• Sit or lay out in the sun
• Sleep or take a nap
• Watch the clouds outside
• Spend time with animals (ie: pets, local shelter animals, observing nature) 
• Train your pets (ie: good behavior and tricks)
• Give your pets some exercise or enrichment (ie: go for a walk, play with toys, let them safely explore)
• Give your pet a bath or clean their space
• Volunteer at an animal shelter or rescue
• Make a sanctuary in your yard for animals like hummingbirds, bats, or bees
• Learn something new. The world is so interesting! There are endless topics to explore online, at the library, or even through talking with other people
• Take a class or learn something new with a friend
• Teach a friend a new skill
• Do something kind or helpful for your loved ones
• Do something kind or helpful for a random person or animal
• Think of someone you care about (friends, partner, family, idols, etc). Think of what you appreciate about this person and energetically send them your gratitude (idea: try a heart-focused gratitude meditation)
• Practice self care (ie: what do you need most?)
• Practice self love (ie: what do you appreciate about yourself?)
• Do nothing. Sometimes doing nothing is exactly what we need

Further Reading: Not Doing

Sometimes doing less is exactly what we need! If none of these items on this list inspire you, consider if you need a break from doing altogether. 

"Not Doing"

Day of Rest