Hey, welcome to Saturdays with Shal. What is the difference between loneliness and solitude? In our constant schedules of always needing to be “on”, we lose much needed downtime. So instead of giving my usual advice backed by research and sources I thought I would switch it up and ask you folks what you do in your downtime. So what’s your favourite “little thing” to do?
Kathryn says that “every night before bed I make a cup of tea and read for like 15 minutes or so to turn off my brain.” This is the exact answer I was looking for. This is Kathryn, be more like Kathryn. Avoid using the cellphone or laptop at least half an hour before bed and instead curl up with a book. Thanks Kathryn! Erik likes his downtime to be "spending a weekend pulling everything off my shelves, out of my closets, off the tables and cleaning and dusting then rearranging everything again according to some hierarchical system like colour, size, shape, or alphabetical placing. It’s satisfying and relaxing!” Awesome, thanks Erik, you are a true architect. Similarly, Tian says, "I have a pre-downtime, downtime ritual where I clean and organize my room (on the surface, don't go into the drawers). If the space I'm in is organized then I feel like my life is too which helps me stay motivated.” I love it Tian, couldn’t have said it better myself. I believe in the saying, “your room / desk reflects your state of mind. A cluttered room is often a cluttered mind." Thanks, Tian. Rohini - one of my favourite answers - said, “my favourite thing to do when I get home after a long day of classes is put on my polka dot pjs, crank up the salsa music, and have a little fiesta while marinating chicken for dinner.” Rohini, I appreciate you. You get comfy, destress, and eat a proper, nutritious meal. How about some things on the go? Raza’s favourite "little thing" to do is to “walk in the snow while listening to music.” This is also a favourite little thing of mine, and it can happen while walking to class. Get some fresh air and bring a pair of headphones. Thanks Raza. Tina’s answer is also something I can definitely relate to. She said, "When I get a few hours of me time, I love to curl up with my fuzzy blanket and turn on my little Christmas lights by the window and attempt to watch a movie. But, because of my indecisive nature, I spend the duration of a movie watching the trailers instead and eventually end up somewhere with funny people making me laugh at 4am. Things are always more funny at ungodly hours. Oooo and there's always lots of tea and chocolate involved!” Yeah I usually just try to gamble on netflix or pick the first one I sort of feel like watching. But yes, Tina, I love how this is your favourite “little thing.” This was really fun to interview people and see their point of view, so expect future SWS “little things” posts in the future. Do you have a favourite “little things” ritual? Don’t be shy, comment below! That’s it for this week, Daniels. Be sure to make time for yourself like your awesome peers above. Stay classy out there. Comments are closed.
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Shalice Coutu,
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