To know you is to love you. Part of loving yourself is knowing yourself, and paying attention to yourself. Who are you? Well, you are more than what you have accomplished, more than your to-do list, more than your relationships with others.
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This will look different for different people. But the important thing to remember with play and creativity is that you are not looking for a certain outcome. You are having fun doing the activity. That’s the most important thing. If you think it’s fun to rearrange your sock drawer, go for it! When you are playing and being creative, you are nurturing your relationship with yourself. Playing and being creative are very healing. Here are some ideas to get you started…
- Try out a new recipe, and don’t be in a hurry to finish. Just enjoy the process. Pretend you are ten, and you’ve got unlimited kitchen privileges.
- Play with your cat or dog.
- Play Scrabble with others or by yourself. Keep score or not.
- Make time for your favorite hobby. If you don’t have a hobby, try some out. You don’t have to get serious about every hobby you try.
- Give your wardrobe a makeover. You can put together new outfits with the clothes you already have, or you can visit a thrift store, and put together a wardrobe with a predetermined amount of money. (Do not get too serious about this wardrobe! Get a little crazy and have some fun with it.) Do this by yourself or with a friend.
- Put on some fast moving music and clean something. Yes, you can actually have fun cleaning! The trick is not to get perfectionistic about the results, but to just enjoy yourself.
- Take a drive just to explore. Stop where you want to and investigate something interesting.
This list is by no means exhaustive. If you feel a bit silly playing at your age, you’ll get over it. It’s time to have some fun!
P.S. I did not load this post with information about the therapeutic benefits of play and creativity because I didn’t want to turn having fun into another job on your to-do list!