My case worker gave me an assignment. Schedule 30-60 minutes each day for personal time to participate in an activity that may bring enjoyment. Basically, try new things to find something fun. Everything I think I like costs money...going to the movies, taking a brief trip, eating at a nice restaurant. I'm asking for ideas what I can do that doesn't cost anything or VERY little.
Perhaps go to the library and pick up a few books and in that 30-60 mins use that as time to get lost in the book...
Or you could go for a leisurely walk, take note of what you saw on your walk, how you felt, what made you smile, what made you think..and come back and journal it?
i always like going outdoors, if for a walk or a run. smelling fresh air, feeling a breeze, hearing the birds, or simply enjoying peace.
doing yoga home dvds. yeah you gotta get them first but i got some well cheap ones either on ebay or amazon.
same for books!
you got any pets? just being with them is so great. if you don't, see if you can help out at a shelter. they often need people just to feed, clean and socialize the animals.
dancing around the room to your favorite music. maybe even singing to it, no matter how off tune :-)
xxx
Lilac--I already do the book thing. I've been reading for hours every day that I don't have my son. The walk and journal sounds like an interesting idea, though. Thank you.
Maedi--yes, I have a little dog. She's the best therapist I could ask for cuz she's always cuddled up next to me and won't let me out of her sight. Thank you.
Have you tried your hand at gardening? Whether its a little potted fern or a full vegetable garden, caring for plants is a very calming and enriching experience. Its relatively inexpensive, and can be done for free if you know how to propagate from cuttings. I'd start with something easy if you've never grown anything before, ferns are some of my favorite things to grow, they're very tolerant, they'll almost live in spite of you. Or, if you like to cook, maybe starting an herb garden would be fun? Possibilities are endless, and seeds are cheap.
Yes, animals are SOOO theraputic!
Motoko? I think I'd probably feel worse because I have a tendency to kill plants! LOL. I might try the ferns, though. Are you sure I can't kill it? :D
Drought tolerant succulents might be up your alley. Pretty hard to kill, unless you over-water. Ferns, like the leather-leaf (which is the hardiest one I own, at the moment), would also be a good choice. Rosemary is also a good starter plant, very hard to kill, and it always smells lovely.
If you run into any more gardening questions, feel free to ask. More importantly, have fun sowing life!
Gardening sounds like a great option too! Maybe an herb garden? Depends on the climate where you live also...
Or perhaps you can dig through old photo's and create albums or scrap books?
yeah, gardening is awesome, you can put all kinds of feelings into it cause there are so many different activities :-) i love digging out trees (if they are dead)!!
and generally, then seeing the plants blossom, it feels great :-)
Have you been able to try any of the suggested ideas?
I already spend "quality" time with my doggie, I went to another library today and got a stack of new books (makes my total number checked out: 16), but I haven't talked to my parents about giving me money for plants, yet. They are my only means of financial support right now and I don't like asking them for anything extra, if you know what I mean. I have started texting "strangers" that I found online to open myself up to other activities. It's been kinda fun learning about other people while keeping my need for privacy and protection in place. I love anonimity. I cleaned my room for myself and rewarded myself with assembling my computer. I don't have to rely on theirs anymore, so I've done a couple of things...it's really been too cold to try anything outside, though. I could have today, but I had to let my son go back to his dad, so I wasn't really in the mood to do anything "extra"... Thank you for checking up on me.