60 SMALL things you can do right now
Feeling angsty? Sad? Distracted? Afraid?
Here are 60 things you can do right now, in this very moment, to cultivate just a bit of peace and presence.
Take a walk, free of technology or podcasts or ear buds.
Call a friend. On the phone. Just to talk.
Write a postcard. Drop it in the mail.
Select one societal issue or topic that you feel passionately about. Consider: What makes me feel the way I do? What is on thing I’d like to change related to this issue or topic? What is the smallest possible thing I can do this week, or even today, in service of this desired change?
Delete your social media accounts for the day, the weekend, or the week.
Reach out to a relative who you haven’t talked to in awhile.
Put your phone in a box, a drawer, or under a piece of furniture. Leave it there until it’s absolutely necessary to take it back out.
Change the home screen on your phone to something that makes you think twice before picking it up.
Try a new recipe.
Light a candle. Take a small pause.
Read a few pages of a (physical) book.
Treat yourself to a magazine. In print. Carve out some time to page through it slowly, with your favorite beverage in hand.
Grow something —a flower, some herbs, or a vegetable. For extra delight, start it from seed and watch it sprout. Take time each day to notice the growth and progress. Allow yourself to be amazed. Lettuce is a fun one, as you will see results quickly.
Make pancakes. For a delicious shortcut, try these or these.
Wipe down the leaves of your succulent plants. Notice how happy and shiny they look afterward.
Pay $2 to be removed from direct mailing lists for catalogues and junk mail.
Look around your house for something that isn’t sparking joy. List it in your neighborhood Buy Nothing group, or put it on the curb with a sign that says “Free.”
Make cookies, or a crumble or cobbler with seasonal fruit. Take some to a neighbor just because.
Add some mint or basil to your water.
Freeze some perfectly ripe summer strawberries. Add them to your water (along with the basil and mint) to make your daily hydration feel fancy.
Think about someone who you appreciate. Write them a note to tell them.
Think about a book or business you love. Take three minutes to write a positive review.
Watch the leaves blowing in the breeze.
Pull some weeds.
Pick up some trash at the park or the beach.
Take a(nother) walk.
Grab a piece of paper and write down all of the things that are currently bugging you. Pick one to take action on right now.
Curate your news consumption. Pick a couple of balanced sources, and tune out the rest. Possibilities to explore include: The Week, AllSides, and Breaking Points.
Vacuum under the couch. Take a moment to notice how accomplished you feel afterward.
Wipe down the baseboards. Or, as a colleague once suggested, enlist a young person and pay them 25 cents per baseboard cleaned.
Send a meme or bitmoji to a friend or loved one.
Read a delightful blog rather than the news.
Call your (brother, mom, aunt, neighbor from the city you used to live in) to say hello.
Send someone chocolates or flowers just because.
Pick some wildflowers and make a beautiful arrangement.
Give someone a (sincere) compliment.
Set up screen time limits on your devices.
Set up website blockers for sites that often trigger, distract, or irritate you.
Do five minutes of light yoga or stretching.
Do something physical that makes you feel accomplished afterward: rake leaves, mow the lawn, use the weed whacker, do some leaf blowing.
Write a card to a friend and decorate it with drawings or stickers.
Smile at a stranger in the grocery store or at the post office.
Look up.
Send a photo memory to a friend.
Floss.
Stretch out your (now) cold cup of coffee by adding a few ice cubes and a dash of milk, and call it an iced latte.
Wipe down your electronics with an alcohol wipe.
Vacuum out the window sills.
Take a bug that has made it inside back to its outdoor habitat.
Wipe out the fridge.
Rearrange one small area of your home for a bit of fresh perspective.
Clip an interesting article or recipe. For an added bonus, send a copy (digital or physical) to a friend who would find it interesting, as well.
Make a quick jam with your abundance of summer strawberries by mixing together strawberries, maple syrup, and a dash of lemon over low heat. Stir in chia seeds for thickening. (inspiration: Love and Lemons)
Check in with a friend who is having a hard time. Offer a listening ear or perhaps a walk and talk.
Write down five things you’re grateful for. See if you can stretch it to ten or twenty or maybe even twenty-five.
Find beauty in the moment. Pause to let it sink in.
Ask, “and, what is going right?” if you find yourself noticing the things that are going wrong.
Give yourself a quick foot rub.
Hug someone.
