101 days to feel more alive

We live in such strange times. Although we have access to more stuff than ever before, in terms of material possessions, experiences and technology, we are increasingly stressed, depressed and lost.

Our modern way of living is often goal oriented and focused on material gain. Living from attainment to attainment can leave us feeling a little empty inside. This constant focus on some other moment, when everything will be better is impeding our ability to live fully today.

So, I've created this program to help get out of the daily rut and into wholehearted living. The invitations are mostly simple, free things that you can do at home, in your own time. Some of the tasks might seem pointless or silly, but they are based on practices to inspire and  empower you to be more mindful, aware and alert in your own life. They are a mix of activities to help you cultivate mindfulness, self love, appreciation, connection to your body and the 5 senses, creativity, memory, reflection, imagination, play and a deeper connection to yourself, others and the world.

I encourage you to commit to doing the tasks each day and notice how you feel. Allow yourself the time and space in your life, to focus on coming alive and letting go of the social conditioning that everything you do must be productive. Allow yourself to be open to new experiences and have fun along the way. You can choose to complete as many of the daily invitations as you like and feel free to adapt them, where needed, to suit your lifestyle. Enjoy!

1.         Wake up 30 minutes before everyone else and just enjoy the peace and stillness.

2.         Make a cup of tea and sit down to watch the steam dance as it rises from it.

3.         Have a shower and feel the water flowing down your body, as you carefully wash every part of yourself, smelling the soap and feeling the sensations.

4.         Take your shoes and socks off and feel the surface beneath your feet. Stretch your feet, lift your toes and check in with how your feet are feeling in this moment.

5.         Walk a different route to a familiar place. Don’t plan the new route, walk down the street and when you get to a crossroad, feel into which way you are more drawn towards. Connect to your intuition and be open to seeing new things and thinking new thoughts.

6.         Pick up a new book or an old favourite, sit down in a cosy space and read.

7.         Have a pillow fight.

8.         Call (don’t message - call) a friend you haven’t spoken to for ages and tell them you miss them.

9.         Go outside and look up at the sky, imagining the vastness of the entire universe.

10.         Buy a mindful colouring in book or download a beautiful picture and colour it in

11.         Eat a spoonful of jam straight from the jar.

12.    Go to the seaside and watch the waves make patterns on the sand.

13.    Jump up and down until you can’t jump anymore. 

14.    Listen to the song that was your favourite when you were 15.

15.    Go to a cafe and order the nicest looking cake they have.

16.    Sign up to a class or workshop on something you’re interested in.

17.    Spend time with an animal.

18.    Sing a song from your childhood.

19.    Go for a walk in nature and listen for birdsong.

20.    Show up unexpectedly at someone’s house or work just to say hi.

21.   Look at yourself in the mirror and notice something you appreciate about your appearance.

22.    Write a letter from your 80 year old self to your current self.

23.    Speak to a plant. Listen to yourself and notice what you say to it.

24.    Go for a wild swim outdoors.

25.    Choose a theme song for your life.

26.    Send a surprise gift or a card to someone you’ve lost contact with.

27.    Look at old photos and try to remember how you felt in those moments.

28.    Cook your favourite meal from childhood for yourself.

29.    Go for a walk in nature and pick flowers, leaves or twigs and make an arrangement.

30.    Bake something delicious and invite someone over for coffee.

31.    Spend some time recalling a happy memory, try to remember as many details as you can, including tastes, smells, sounds and sensations.

32.    Write down 3 things you have always wanted to do and connect with the desire to do them. Allow yourself to daydream, even if it’s not possible for you to do the things right now.

33.    Ask someone you’re close to what their favourite thing is about you.

34.    Watch a film or a program you enjoyed when you were a child.

35.    Make a flask and go out into nature, find a quiet space and enjoy a cuppa by yourself.

36.    Sit down with a blank piece of paper and a pen and start writing whatever comes to mind, without censoring yourself.

37.    Go for a walk and smile at everyone you meet whilst remembering that they are just like you.

38.    Put your favourite song on and dance freely in your living room.

39.    Take 5 long, deep breaths, sighing the air out as loudly as you can.

40.    Go outside at night, lie down and look at the stars.

41.    Go to an exercise class you haven’t tried before.

42.    Write a list of your proudest achievement to date.

43.    Tell someone you love them, who you don’t normally say it to.

44.    Pick up a book, open a page randomly and read the first passage your eyes land on. Imagine what you’re reading is a message for you and attempt to interpret it in a way that makes sense to you.

45.    Taste something you’ve never tasted before.

46.    Listen to a song in a language you don’t understand and try to feel what the lyrics might be about.

47.    Strike up a conversation with a stranger.

48.    Write a letter to your 8 year old self, saying everything you would like yourself to know.

49.    Visit a new place you have never been to before and take a photo that you won’t show anyone.

50.    Laugh. Think of something funny or force a laugh until it becomes real.

51.    Do a guided mediation on an app or Youtube.

52.    Go outside, find a little stone and put it in your pocket. Try to remember that it’s in there for the rest of they day.

53.    Ask someone what the best thing they ever did was and listen attentively to their answer.

54.    Find a quote that you would like to represent your life.

55.    Go for a barefoot walk on the beach or grass, and try to see the surface with the soles of your feet

56.    Think about an opportunity you never took and ask yourself what would be the closest you could come to rectifying that.

57.    Write a list of all the things you’re grateful for, big and small.

58.    Begin a new project.

59.    Sign up to a newsletter from someone who inspires you.

60.    Light a candle and sit in peace, watching the flame dance.

61.    Create something out of any material (paper, fabric, dough, thread, clay, sticks, stones)

62.    Close your eyes and picture yourself in the most beautiful, calm place you can imagine. See it in great detail, imagine the sensations, sounds and smells.

63.    Make up a character in your mind or on paper, give them a name, a back story, characteristics, behaviors and habits.

64.    Go for lunch or a cup of coffee by yourself. Don’t read, don’t look at your phone, just enjoy the experience of being in your own company.

65.    Soak your feet in warm water, dry them carefully and put on soft, fluffy socks.

66.    Give someone a hug and hold it a little longer than you usually would.

67.    Look out the window and watch what’s happening (even if it’s seemingly nothing).

68.    Go outside and sit under a tree, leaning your back against its trunk. Imagine what the tree might say to you, if it could talk.

69.    Share something you find difficult with someone you trust.

70.    Try a new recipe.

71.    Run as fast as you can for as long as you can.

72.    Lie on your back and relax all your muscles from your toes to your scalp until you feel like you couldn’t more if you tried.

73.    Read a poem.

74.    Go out into nature and take a photo of a bird.

75.    Sit with our eyes closed and see what you can see. Be open to seeing colours, shapes, things from your imagination or nothing at all.

76.    Breathe deeply into your heart, imaging your heart expanding with every breath.

77.    Write a letter to someone who has hurt of upset you, telling them how you feel. You don’t need to send it, keep it for reference or destroy it.

78.    Tense your whole body as much as you can, starting from the toes and going upwards to your face and head. Relax and repeat 3 times.

79.    Think about a time in the past when you were afraid. Imagine going back in time and reassure your past self.

80.    Help someone with something.

81.    Stand with your arms outstretched and imagine all your hearts desires being brought to you.

82.    Eat a piece for fruit very slowly, focusing on the flavour, texture and sound. Think about where the fruit has come from, all that has contributed to it existing, the sun, the rain, the people who grew it, packaged it and sold it to you.

83.    Sing along to your favourite song.

84.    Think about what 1 word best describes you.

85.    Take a few long deep breaths and try to feel the oxygen flowing around your bloodstream to all parts of your body.

86.    Go outside, lie down and lean your face on the grass. Try to feel each individual blade against your cheek.

87.    Play a game you loved as a child.

88.    Be open to changing your perception on something. Listen out for an opportunity to expand your thinking and understand something in a new way.

89.    Leave a note or a message of encouragement for a stranger.

90.    Walk across the room as slowly as you physically can, feeling the sensations in your feet as they lift and lower to the floor.

91.    Thank someone in your life for being there for you.

92.    Do something you haven’t done for ages (ride a bike, try a hand stand or a cartwheel, skip, kick a football, fly a kite).

93.    Buy yourself a present that you don’t need.

94.    Reminisce with someone about a holiday you’ve been on together, remembering all the details and sharing your favorite parts.

95.    Sit on a park bench (don’t read or look at your phone, just sit there and watch the world go by).

96.    Create a picture in your mind of a beautiful, imaginary animal friend. Imagine their colours and characteristics, give them a name and special powers.

97.    Treat yourself to your favorite sweet or dessert from childhood.

98.    Lie down and allow yourself to imagine that this world is a safe place and that all your worries will be taken care of. Feel what it would be like to trust that everything is as it should be, even if you don’t see it right now.

99.    Look into a mirror and tell your reflection that you love yourself until you start to believe it.

100.    Paint a picture of your soul.

101.    Get down on your hands and knees and thank the power that created you for giving you your life.