The Bucket List

 

"Stop being afraid and start living instead..."

In “A New Year, A New You” I wrote about my zest for 2013 and all that it could promise. Here is the bucket list that I formed with friends (we all have different ones):

§  Go in a hot air balloon

§  Go to an AFL game

§  See a champion league or world cup game (football)

§  Go skydiving

§  Experience the tomato festival in spain

§  Have octoberfest in Germany

§  Spend 2-4 weeks in Italy

§  Climb Sydney Harbour Bridge

§  Go on the London eye

§  Climb the Eiffel Tower (bonus if have champagne there)

§  Spend NYE in Times Square, New York

§  Ride horseback on a beach or at sunset

§  Ride a camel

§  Have a guinness or spend St Patrick’s Day in Ireland

§  Go to Stonehenge

§  See a show at the Moulin Rouge

§  Buy a pair of Manolo Blahniks

§  Go see Anzac Cove (preferably on Anzac Day)

§  Lighten hair – sme version of blonde (caramel, raspberry etc)

§  Go to a gun range

 

* Achieve my ideal weight

§  Take part in a masquerade ball

§  Throw a drink in someone’s face

§  See snow

The list is random and just full of things I have always wanted to do, I am sure I will add to it. But this is how it stands as of 30.12.2012.

Looking forward to completing this, What I love about it is that it feeds my current state of wanderlust! Do you have a bucket list, or item you really want to complete?

Kooklah...

* = added since 30/12/12

Making time...for Self Care

"Your breathing is your greatest friend. Return to it in all your troubles and you will find comfort and guidance.." (Buddhist Teaching)

I think it is really important to make time to just breathe and do something for yourself. Yes you are busy. We all are. Some people have demanding jobs, some are trying to study and work, some have families or intense hobbies. No matter what, for the vast majority of us atleast there never seems to be enough time. Time to complete all the mundane tasks or time to really let go and enjoy ourselves.

When I was completing my degree, we were always told about the importance of self care (click the link for a great article by Elizabeth Scott) which is basically setting aside time to allow yourself to relax, revitalise or rejuvinate. Self care 'sessions' do not have to be complex or time consuming and can be worked into our everyday lives. In saying this, it often becomes a rarity, or as Elizabeth discusses, something that people feel should take a backstep to the many other things requiring their attention. I am definitely guilty of this. I think in the short term, that can be fine (for instance you are working hard to meet an assignment deadline but then will relax the moment you can click submit) but continually giving up this time on a long term basis can have vastly negative effects.

Some negative effects of a daily, weekly or monthly routine lacking in self care sessions can include increased stress-physical/mental/emotional, increased chance of inappropriate emotional outbursts-tears/yelling/snapping, reduced ability to sleep well, lowering immune systems leading to illness but also minor issues like tension headaches/grounding teeth/fatigue, inability to enjoy time off and reduced ability for effective communication, concentration and judgement.

Below are five catergories of self care options and some ideas to achieve self care. There are of course, a very large amount of ways to complete self care- I am only aiming to highlight some simple, easy to achieve ways to get people started. I will also state what my favourite ways are!

Physical- do something with your body, pamper it, move it around...

*Book a treat for yourself, such as a massage - be it soothing, remedial (my favourite). Anyone in the hunter valley should look up Emily Jane Massage Therapy, I can personally vouch her, or have a DIY pamper session (I love to take all my makeup off,use my at home facial kit and then paint my nails)

*Hot shower with nice body wash, or soaking in a bath with candles and/or glass of wine

*Going for a quick walk or exercise (20-30minutes can do wonders)

*Have a rest, put on some calm music (or your favourite) and have a nap

Environmental- Do something with the elements! Use nature how  it was intended...

*Sit in the sun- read a book, play with a pet or just look up at the sky

*Go to the beach- walk along the shore, dip your toes in the water and sit with your hands sifting through the sand, listen to the waves

*Go for a walk through a garden or park, look at animals and enjoy some quiet

*Dance in the rain, lie on a blanket and look at the stars, watch a sunrise/sunset

Mental-take care of or strengthen your mind...

*Create a list of things to do/things you want to achieve. Can be a bucket list (things to do before you die), a cradle list (things to do before you have children), or any other timeline (I currently have one going for things I want to complete before 2013).. Make sure you don't just focus on serious things but also fun things e.g. fingerpainting/karoke/hot air balloons

*Take some time to read a book or magazine- could be five pages, a chapter, one story

*Complete a puzzle/sudoko/crossword

*Watch a few episdoes of your favourite tv show (or one you have wanted to catch up on)

Emotional-express, reflect on or recognise your feelings...

*Write someone a letter (write to a friend, an organisation to support something you believe in or even write one to yourself)

*Think about your fears, can any be conquered or attempted in a positive way? If so, go DO it!

*Reflect on your feelings and then think about where you want to be and what you want to do in life. Think/find some affirmations to repeat to yourself on a daily basis-especially when you are stressed. 

Some of mine include: 'She believed she could, and so she DID', 'Everything will be ok in the end, if it is not okay, it is not the end', 'Whether you think you can or you think you can't - you are right'

*Spend the day with some kids (if you don't have any mind your neice/nephew/cousin/friend's children), children are great therapy! They find joy in so much and th sound of their laughter or the wonder in their voice at something new can really lift your spirits. My little cousins have saved my mindset on many occasions and treating them makes me feel positive!

Spiritual-take some time to focus on your own beliefs or to re-determine what you do believe in.

*Light a candle and say/think a prayer/blessing/hope/affirmation (you don't have to follow a religion to do this). I light a candle whenever I am in need of hope, or when I am remembering those beautiful friends of mine that I have lost. Candle light is so soft and soothing, even in the day time.

*Think about your safe place, a peaceful place. What does it look like? Are there people or animals there? What can you hear/smell/taste/feel? Next time you are stressed, faced with your fears or upset. Take a second, breathe, close your eyes and take yourself to that place.

*Meditate-to music, an actual meditation tape or piece of writing, or sit down somewhere comfortable and breathe deeply, stretch and concentrate on your breathing. Five minutes can change your day. My aim is to have meditated for atleast 60 minutes every week (either broken up or one whole session)

*Do something for someone else. Donate to charity, spend time listening to a friend, volunteer, do a good deed each day- whatever it is, it can help put into perspective that we are not the only ones with issues, and that by helping others we can help ourselves.

As I said, the above points are just brief examples or ideas... Mainly used to inspire those who may not have known where to start, or what to do. Writing a list of things you'd like to include in a self care session of your own can be a great help. Ensures lots of variety!

Some examples from people I know (just basics)..

L- takes walks on the beach, plays with her dog and when she sees her mum they share champagne

M- lights candles, plays music, treats herself, goes to the gym

E- takes time to draw, sketch, think, spend time in nature

My favourite things to do are- the pamper routine above, spend some time in my pjs watching a tv show, think about my peaceful place, write short stories/work on my novel, play music and focus on my breathing, take a walk, look up at they sky, create lists of things to achieve, spend time with people who make me laugh; who let me be myself and who support me, spend time with the little children I am lucky to know, wash my hair and have a hot shower, remedial massages.

"Love yourself first, and everything else falls in line. You really have to love yourself to get anything done in this world." Lucille Ball

I would love to read what other people love to do! Happy self-caring, Kooklah Xx.

to do this summer

Since the end of December I have been working at completing a list I wrote, a summer bucket list if you will. I have 130 items on my list. I have completed around 44 of them with plans in place for the next few days to ensure I tick a few more off the list as well. Here is the list, I will update it tomorrow as to what I have completed already. It has been a really fun experience, and has encouraged me to make the most of every day and to appreciate the smaller things, particularly those I haven't done since I was a child.

So here is the list!!

1. Go on a picnic

2. Get up and watch a sunrise

3. Watch a sunset

4. Lie under the stars

5. Sleep under the stars

6. Lie on the grass and look at the clouds

7. Dance in the rain

8. Climb trees

9. Make a daisy chain

10. Water fight

11. Hand-feed an animal

12. Go on a hike/long walk

13. Watch Fireworks

14. Sleep on beach

15. Go to a pool party

16. Plant something

17. Walk Charlie (my dog)

18. Build a sandcastle

19. Look through telescope

20. Go on a boat

21. Dump a bucket of water on yourself

22. Mini golf/aqua golf

23. Walk along the beach

24. Beach at night

25. Jump on trampoline

26. Watch storm

27. Make a new friend

28. Girls night with Isabella and her 'chosen crew'

29. Play indoor

30. Cocktail night

31. Watch silence of the lambs with mum

32. Have/go to a bbq

33. Sleepover -old fashioned style

34. Start watching all of Seinfeld in order

35. Birthday dinner with Laura at Silo

36. Cook dinner for family

37. Photobooth pictures

38. Put message inside balloons and give them to someone

39. hang out with someone you haven't seen in ages

40. Hug someone each day

41. Read 10-15 books

42. rearrange/redecorate room

43. Write a chapter/multple pages of Violet story

44. Go to a movie alone

45. See a psychic

46. Create quote wall

47. Have a remedial massage

48. Have a facial

49. Paint nails all different colours

50. Scrabook event/friend/holiday

51. Develop Melbourne photos

52. Daily log photos on facebook

53. Time capsule

54. Stay up all night

55. Laser tag/paint ball

56. Send message in a bottle (or equivalent)

57. Create a summer playlist

58. Dance to the playlist in loungeroom or outside

59. Tie a secret to a balloon and let it go

60. Volunteer somewhere

61. Regular gym/fitness workouts

62. Do a good deed

63. Scream (empty room/isolated beach/roadside)

64. Send a postcard

65. Master five new hairstyles

66. Perfect a braid

67. Write a will/directive

68. Donate blood

69. Go to a fair

70. Have an ice cream spider

71. Put glitter hairspray in hair

72. Fingerpaint

73. Blow bubbles

74. Wear glowsticks

75. Watch 5 disney movies

76. Finish watching supernatural

77. Colour in

78. Climb on a jungle gym/play equipment

79. Skip with skipping rope/hula hoop

80. Go iceskating/rollerskating

81. Play truth and dare

82. Play fifa and kinect on xbox

83. Play board games

84. Play twister

85. Play bowling/yard boulee

86. Learn how to make a piece of origami

87. Make and fly a paper aeroplane

88. Play with a puppy/kitten

89. Buy someone a meal

90. Make iced tea or sangria

91. Donate money

92. Have a fondue night

93. Have/help with dinner party

94. Spend a day baking

95. Make homemade beauty products

96. Go on a mini road trip

97. Go to jets game not at newcastle

98. Go to a museum/gallery

99. Stay in a hotel after a night out

100. Go to a gig

101. Go to a market

102. Go on a gaol tour

103. Visit tourist spot near own home

104. Go through an open house

105. Go to an expensive store and try on clothes without buying anything

106. Send/give someone flowers for no reason

107. Write someone a letter

108. Tell someone how much they mean to you

109. Rent/watch history boys and two hands

110. Buy something from a yard sale

111. Meet a celebrity/near celebrity

112. Write letter to newspaper/magazine/ politician

113. Restore/revive blog

114. Revamp/create something with old clothes

115. Go to a Greek restaurant

116. opshop/vintage shop on a budget to create an outfit

117. Write a fan letter

118. Old movie day

119. Hippie day

120. Rockclimb

121. Go out and kiss/use a pick up line on a guy

122. Repaint my room

123. Tell a stranger they are beautiful/look good

124. Have a bubble bath with candles and a glass of wine

125. Go on or book a hot air balloon ride

126. Spend one day without using electricity

127. Send away for a passport

128. Start planning overseas trip

129. Create an Autumn list

130. Begin a bucket list for life (put a big piece of cardboard on door and write everything and anything that I think of)

I hope this list motivates someone!
K, Xx