A thought experiment... What are absolutely free & healthy things almost anyone can do? So far, all I've got is: 1. Spend more time in the sun (but not too much!) 2. Drink more water #1 may be difficult for folks who work nights... Most people are dehydrated and not getting enough Vitamin D. :(
join (and use) a library
That's an excellent tip. :) There's been a disturbing trend of cutting library hours and days of operations... I hope it won't continue.
Our library has a ton of online resources, including movies, language learning. So virtually open 24/7.
yeah a lot do! usually all you need to do in person is actually sign up, once you have a card if they have online stuff you can access at least some of it from home
Aye, but that experience isn't universal. 🥲 I'm trying to brainstorm a list of things literally anyone can do, anywhere.
it is very very hard to find truly universal options like, I am housebound (for a bunch of reasons) but am lucky enough to have a garden so getting access to fresh air and some plants is easy for me. but if I lived in a different kind of place, suddenly that's all but impossible.
Indeed, which is why I'd originally come up with just 2. 🥲 (It says something about my Soviet upbringing that I didn't even consider "pray or meditate or practice gratitude" as an option. 🫠 Characterisation via negative space hahaha)
Learn something new. New skill, new knowledge, engage brain.
Meditate. Go for a walk (if physically able to do so).
Good advice :) but unfortunately not universal, due to physical limitations (as you mentioned) and some hellscapes that are actively hostile to pedestrians.
True. I'm not able to go on lengthy walks right now due to physical limitations. Didn't even consider that some places aren't pedestrian friendly. Or where the weather makes it impossible.
Yup. 🥲 I used to live in rural Fort Worth... If you want to make a Texan laugh, ask them about public transit options from downtown FW to downtown Dallas. 😱 Even here, in my beloved Quebec City, I had to plot a backstreet route because too many careless drivers refuse to acknowledge pedestrians. 🤯
I'm in rural Germany. It's... slightly better. We actually have paved paths through the fields that can be used by pedestrians and bikers. You just have to jump out of the way when the farmer shows up with his tractor. And most newer streets have a sidewalk.
First time I was harassed out of a car.
😭 I figured you meant either that or people pulling over to ask, "Do you need a ride? 🥹"
That, surprisingly enough, didn't happen. The offers of help, I mean. Maybe I looked too crazy? I was having fun, though, was a really nice sidewalk and the weather was perfect for a stroll.
I once got mooned by a passing car, but that was a bunch of drunk students on a weekend night near campus in Reno. 🚗🍑😮
When I was in Florida, they actually had a really nice sidewalk leading to the supermarket but it was completely empty during the day. It was only used in the evenings by bicycle riders. I used it to walk to the supermarket and back but most Americans could not deal with seeing me just walk.
The randomness of "suddenly, a farmer's tractor appears" literally made me laugh. :)
Some have really small ones (mostly for the vinyards) and they are fast. 😂
Such a funny way to go, all things considered. 🙃
(Walking, that is. Hooray for meditation! 😌)
-Exercise. (No matter how little). -Forgive people (seriously. It's healthy). -Altruistic acts no matter how little (very good for your mental health)
I love these! :)
-Some kind of exercise -Some kind of meditation/prayer -Turn off all the notifications on your phone -Touch some grass -Eat some vegetables
I love these!
Go for a walk. It feels good to get the body moving, and it's good for your mental health too. Doesn't have to be epic either. Just walking (part of the way) to work will be good for you.
Problem is, not everyone is physically capable of walking, and many places are designed to be hostile to pedestrians. :( Ergo, not a universal tip like the first 2. (Unless you change it to "walk inside your home, if you can and if there's sufficient space" 🙃)
You could change it to get some exercise. A few simple stretches throughout the day can be very beneficial. I'd also suggest meditation and/or simply some quiet time to yourself. Not doing, just sitting quietly.
Now these are grade-A suggestions! :)
Reach out to say a non-obligatory “hi” to anybody you’ve been thinking of but haven’t been able to hang with. I feel so much better after remembering that other people exist and are real.
That is such a great and wholesome tip. 😌
I didn't include "3. Get more sleep" because not everyone can afford that. (Due to job(s), school or kids) I'm reinventing self-care from first principles 😅 because this is something I've struggled with myself. When I lived in Vegas, I developed clinical vitamin D deficiency. 😱 (I worked days... 🫠)
Likewise, didn't include "3. Walk!" because a) some folks aren't physically capable of doing so, and b) many areas are designed to be hostile to pedestrians - from rural areas with zero sidewalks to urban areas where drivers don't care about your right of way. :(
Some crowdsourced suggestions. :) 3. Some kind of exercise 4. Some kind of meditation/prayer 5. Turn off all the notifications on your phone 6. Touch some grass 7. Eat some vegetables* 8. Join and use the local library** (*offer not valid in some areas 🙁 ) (** assuming you live near one)
Walk.
Good idea, but it's not universal: not everyone is physically capable of walking, and some areas are designed to be dangerous for pedestrians.
You did say "almost anyone" and "walking" doesn't have to be done outdoors.
Ahh, touché. :) My thinking is affected by years of living in tiny apartments with barely any free space haha. (It's a big issue in Canada...)
And my thinking is affected by a lifetime habit of pacing back and forth no matter how tiny the room I'm in is. Drives my family up a wall.