Recently a lot of my posts have revolved around other people’s posts I’ve read and liked. Now this “post within a post” you could see as very postmodern and cool of me, or alternatively, you may see it as unimaginative plagiarism. Hopefully the former? Or just neither?
Either way this post will be no different, because it is one thousand percent inspired by Anna from In Honor of Design’s post “how do you rejuvenate?”. Because you can't have too many posts which revolve around lighting expensive candles and cracking open a beer, and other rejuvenation techniques.
Such an excellent word, rejuvenate. And really, such a different word to the word relax. Relax is about putting on some comfy pjs, pouring yourself a nice tea and getting your brain ready for sleep. Rejuvenate, is about the downtime before the uptime.
I think too often I confuse the two. I stumble in from work, immediately put on the tv and think “oh I need some down time to relax before getting on with all the life admin” when really what I should be thinking is “I need some time to rejuvenate so I can do all the life admin”. And to be honest, that is probably not me watching the TV, because as much as I love TV (and I do) I wouldn’t say vegetating in front of netflix is very good for rejuvenating me to get on with other jobs. (It just ends up in my sinking into the sofa, and never getting to the aforementioned life admin).
In Anna’s post, she quoted loads of truly excellent ideas from her readers, go and check them out. (Having a bath with something fizzy, and going for a run really stick out in my mind as top rejuvenating tips). Anyhoo, ever since she posted it, I’ve been trying harder to have quality rejuvenating time, rather than just gliding through my week in neutral channel surfing for hours, collapsing on the sofa and essentially doing nothing before bed.
As you read this, I will be on a train on my way home from a hen do in Brighton with 42, yes you read that right and it is not a typo, 42 other women, after a night out dressed as air stewardesses in Pryzm (places that replacing an s with a z are always the classiest right?). Ever since reading Anna’s post I’ve been making a little list of how I like to rejuvenate, which I am really thinking I might be needing today. Future self, do one of these things:
1. Light an expensive candle. That by itself is lovely, but if you pair it with a special cup of tea (I mean like a teapigs expensive jasmine teabag, not something illegal) it is *insert the emoticon of the hand making the a-ok sign here*
2. Watch an episode of your favourite tv programme in a candlelit bath. With a bath friendly snack. (Minstrels?) Sorry can't give up tv completely, but I at least this is tv you chose and not just whatever is on E4 that you've seen already.
3. Opening up the window, and just taking a few deep breaths enjoying fresh air and outside
4. Going to the a local coffee shop armed with a magazine, or a full bloglovin' feed, and enjoying a brunch for one.
5. Colouring in! I have a mindful colouring book, but can someone find and get me this one.
6. Listening to Frank Sinatra (or whoever you loved when you were younger, I went through I really crooning phase when I was 15 as I'm really cool, and I thought I’d grown out of it, but as it turns out, still not cool.) Just any song that makes you want to win at life really. If you don't like this one, how about this one or this one or this one.
7. On that note, actually doing anything you loved when you were 15 and have forgotten about. Ok, maybe not drinking a smirnoff ice but rewatching a favourite film, reading a chapter of a favourite book
8. Watching an old movie or musical
9. Going swimming. Ideally outdoors. (Ideally in a natural pond)
10. Meditate, pray, go to Church if any of those things work for you
11. Going for a walk, with a takeaway hot chocolate (or maybe an ice tea, if it is hot out)
How do you rejuvenate?
PS. Go swim in a pond
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