I don't know about you guys but I have been feeling so uncreative lately, and it seems
like everywhere I look on social media, my friends are starting all these amazing new
creative projects, and I just don't have the energy for it. We're going through such a
strange and difficult time right now, a lot of us don't have access to even really basic
things from our usual daily lives. Plus we're all feeling a lot of anxiety. So I feel like
the pressure on top of that of coming up with really great creative ideas to cheer us up
just feels too much. So, in this Book Break video, I've come up with a list of the things
that I have really enjoyed doing that don't take too much creative brainpower, that don't
have any added pressure, but have just made me feel really on top of things. And hopefully
will kickstart some motivation in the end, and I would love to hear your guys' suggestions
for other activities like this. So the first thing I'm going to suggest is actually an
exercise in being kind to yourself. And I got this idea from the book The Kindness Method
by Shahroo Izadi. I actually did a whole video with her last year which I will link to, she
was absolutely wonderful, and she explained that her book The Kindness Method is about
helping yourself take up new habits in your life, but by being kind to yourself the whole
way along. It's not about guilting yourself or shaming yourself that you haven't achieved
these things. So right now, that is perfect for me, and the particular exercise that's
been really helping me has been the mind maps. So in the book, Shahroo Izadi gets your to
draw out these mind maps, full of things that you like about yourself, and things that you're
proud of. And I've found right now that no matter what I'm achieving or not achieving,
just taking some time in my day to work on these mind maps has just been this really
lovely practice in being kind to myself, and bringing my anxiety levels down.
Now the second activity I want to suggest is, stay with me, tidying. I know, I always
found tidying to be such a chore but right now I am finding it really soothing, particularly
if you focus on one particular area at a time. So it might be your bookshelves one day, or
your wardrobe the next. And you can turn it into this whole activity that's really about
spending time with your things, and reminding yourself of the lovely things that you own.
I was inspired to do this from reading The Life Changing Manga of Tidying Up, which is
a Marie Kondo graphic novel, about a young woman who tidies up her flat, and her life.
And it's great, and I was a little bit cynical about the idea that tidying could ever really
spark joy, but it really does, I've been really enjoying it, and the best thing is you can
just redoing it. So with my bookshelves, today I organised them by alphabetical order, but
tomorrow I could redo it by genre, or by colour. And while we're on a Marie Kondo kick, I also
read her book Joy at Work, which inspired by third suggestion: set up a really nice
workspace for yourself. Whether that's for doing creative work, or just for browsing
social media for three hours, no judgement either way, you still deserve a really nice
place to sit, where you're not going to be getting neck ache, and where you can feel
calm and at peace during what's a really stressful time in our lives. So Marie Kondo says that
the ideal workspace should make your heart leap, and a lot of the places I've been working
recently have not been doing that. So I've been experimenting around my room with finding
the perfect places to sit when I'm on my laptop, editing a video, or just looking at social
media, and I found that what's most important to me is having somewhere where my laptop
can be elevated and my feet can be firmly on the ground, because that way my body feels
comfortable while I'm at work. But for you it might be that the most important thing
is having a surface nearby for your cup of tea, or being able to look over at your plants
while you're working. Whatever it is, you deserve somewhere that makes you feel peaceful.
And once you've set up your ideal workspace, you can then do my fourth suggestion which
is bullet journaling. So for bullet journaling, do not feel you have to compare yourself to
the amazing people on Instagram who draw up these fantastically beautiful bullet journals.
I'm not artistic at all, and I get really frustrated if I try and make mine look really
pretty with washi tape and glitter and felt pens. Bullet journaling itself is just an
organisational technique. So you can look at books like the 365 Bullet Guide for inspiration
on how it works. I just find it's a really useful way of organising the tasks that I
need to do in a day, or I've found it a really lovely way to keep track of things like rating
the new films that I've watched recently, or keeping a little diary of nice phone calls
that I've had with friends. Tip number 5 is quite a broad one, this is just to do a hobby
that you already know how to do, and you already know you enjoy. So for example, I'm not a
particularly great cook, so I am not going to be learning how to make banana bread right
now, like it seems everybody else is, but I do know I love following a recipe. I find
it really soothing and methodical, I like that I can listen to an audiobook while I'm
doing it. So I have been enjoying taking some time in my day to follow some recipes. I've
been really liking Jack Monroe's book Tin Can Cook, which has recipes made from tinned
food, if you're able to source canned food. And Jack Monroe gives really easy to follow
instructions for turning this into delicious stews and curries, which then leads to my
second favourite hobby: eating. But for you this could be absolutely anything. Maybe it
might be practising braiding your hair, or drawing on your winged eyeliner, or sketching
your plants. The results don't matter right now, it's just about taking some time for
something that you know you enjoy. Tip number 6 is to get moving. Do some exercise that
you already enjoy. You don't have to take up some brand new high intensity workouts
right now, or force yourself to do yoga even though you know you find it boring, but we
know from the almighty Elle Woods, endorphins do make you happy, and so getting your body
moving in some way can only cheer you up. And people like Joe Wicks are bringing us
free online classes at the moment which is so helpful. So Joe Wicks is doing these daily
YouTube videos, and raising money for the NHS at the same time, which is brilliant.
Tip number 7 is to help somebody else with their creative project. So this one always
works a treat for me, it's a really great way to get me trying out new creative activities
but without any of the pressure. So for example, if you're trying to entertain children at
the moment, The Joy Journal by Laura Brand is full of really great ideas, a lot of them
use things that you probably already have in your kitchen cupboards, and you'll find
that a) it's a really nice way of bonding with children, and b) you'll probably enjoy
a lot of these activities a lot yourself too. But it could be anything, it could be phoning
up that friend who you know is writing a book, and asking if they need somebody to bounce
ideas around with, or maybe they need a proofreader. I've been helping my dad set up his own YouTube
channel, which has definitely been keeping me busy and been really fun. So I would love
to know what soothing activities you guys have been finding helpful when you've been
feeling overwhelmed, or when you're just not in the mood for a big project. And we also
do have a whole Guide to Life playlist which is full of videos about reducing stress and
anxiety, and also other activities you might like to try, so do have a browse through that
one and we'll see you next time.