We’re heading
into a full year of a pandemic and everyone is at their wits end for what to do
to get a mental break, parents especially. Many don’t have oodles of money,
free space or extra energy to get creative in how we can mentally feel better.
Below are a few “outta the box” ideas for how to get a mental break and feel
refreshed even if it's only for 5 or 10 minutes.
Try to do
something which stimulates the senses in unusual or unique ways to create novel
experiences, whether big or small.
Clinical
Psychologist, Health Service Psychologist, a Board Certified Music Therapist, Dr. Bethany Cook emphasizes ways to take a mental break:
- Buy yourself a nice, large, juicy orange and take it with you to the shower. Peel it, smell it, eat it. Squeeze the skin on your face and smell the beautiful scents.
- Listen
to a lush classical piece of music the entire way through with earphones
on so there is nothing between you and the music. I suggest classical
because we often don’t have strong associations or memories with these
pieces of music. Allow yourself to sit or lay in a comfortable spot, close
your eyes, and allow the music to take you on a mental journey. Obviously,
if listening to classical music sets you off, pick anything you enjoy.
Just set aside time to listen. Suggested songs:
- Overwhelm
your taste buds with a simple, easy treat. Take a small microwaveable bowl
and add a few spoonfuls of peanut butter/almond butter/cashew butter, add
2-3 squares of dark chocolate throughout the bowl and lightly
sprinkle some sea salt on top. Place the bowl in the microwave for 15-20
seconds just long enough to melt the chocolate. Slowly drag your spoon through
peanut butter grabbing some chocolate on the way.
- Surprise
your Tongue: This one you will need a partner (or more than one). Have a
“taste test” with shot-sized portions of a variety of beverages. Lemon
juice, pickle juice, prune juice, Dr. Pepper, Sprite, cold coffee, vodka,
Monster drink, etc. On a sheet of paper write the number of glasses. Cut
them up, fold them over and put them in a bowl to draw from. Then do the
same thing but this time don’t fold them but randomly place one in front
of each glass. During your turn you wear a blindfold and pull a number
from the bowl. The other person hands you the corresponding shot and you
have to guess what it is. Person with the most correct identifications at
the end wins.
- Run
yourself a nice hot bath and grab a bucket of ice cubes. Find your sore
spots and hold an ice cube there until it melts. Not only is this a shock
to your body and brain but it’s also going to help heal sore muscles. Play
some calming music and burn some candles if needed.
- KITS-
Order a self-care
kit for you or someone you love. Immerse yourself in another
culture by ordering an assortment of
foods from other countries or if you're more of a snacker get yourself
some snacks!!!
Or if you have some extra cash and wanna go lush try chocolate,
Gems and affirmations from Vogue Chocolates. Or make up your
own! This is about finding a way to make the ordinary “extra”.
- Get
in touch with a childhood hobby/activity or begin one. Youtube has
made it easy to teach yourself skills. Hell, my wife just taught
herself how to patch a huge crack in our 100+ old Victorian cedar beach
house from watching Youtube. I’m gettin back to playing the piano
for pleasure. What did you love? Model airplanes? Paper
airplanes are “cheaper” so lookup some online origami and reconnect to a
childhood dream.
At the end
of the day I know we all could use a month’s vacation and mental break from the
realities of life. Since most of us can’t take a month off from our
lives, we need to learn how to harness the power of our minds and find ways to
grab mini-mental vacations whenever possible. Taking 5-10 minutes doesn’t
sound like a lot of time.
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