Look up an ex

Look up an ex
Getty Images

Okay, hear us out on this one: We’re not saying you should actually make contact with this person, but looking up an old flame – start with Facebook – can either help you remember the fun times or make you realise how much better off you are now.

Advertisement

Volunteer at a homeless shelter

Volunteer at a homeless shelter
Shutterstock

Once you’ve been established with a home and a job for a long time it can be easy to forget how close we all really are to the edge. Share what you’ve been given with those less fortunate for an instant priority check and to do a little good in the world.

Go to the library

Go to the library
SHutterstock

When’s the last time you held a real, actual book in your hands? If you can’t remember, it might be time to put down your tablet and high-tail it to the library. There’s something so satisfying about holding a story in your hands. And, for the more practically minded, it’s way cheaper than the Kindle store. (Just watch the late fees!)

Visit a national park

Visit a national park
Shutterstock

Hike? Bike? Camp? Bird (or people) watch? There’s an abundance of gorgeous, pristine national parkland just waiting to be explored. Getting in touch with nature is one of the easiest ways to live in the moment and forget about your daily worries.

Take a class

Take a class
Shutterstock

Never. Stop. Learning. The beautiful thing about being a grown-up is you can now take any class you like (and you don’t have to take anything you don’t like). Sign up at a community college to further your education or work goals. Or just sign up for tap-dancing at the community centre.

Help out on election day

Help out on election day
Shutterstock

Want an insider look at how our election process works on the ground level? Sign up to work as a volunteer at the polling booths. You get to see all the ins and outs of the process while still providing a vital service to your community.

Forgive someone

Forgive someone
Getty Images

Pick someone from your past who you feel deserves to be forgiven for a previous wrong. Or, better yet, pick someone who doesn’t deserve it and forgive them anyhow. Even if it means nothing to them, it will make you feel so much lighter.

These are the 12 proven steps to truly forgive anyone for anything.

Plant a garden

Plant a garden
Getty Images

You learn about the plant life cycle as a child but you can’t fully appreciate the magic of it until you’re an adult and have nurtured a plant from seed to maturity. Gardening – or as we like to call it, playing in the dirt – is one of the oldest hobbies for a reason. It’s good for your mind, body, and soul, especially if you reap what you sow.

Here are 16 ways to kill garden weeds. 

Climb the tallest mountain in your state

Climb the tallest mountain in your state
Shutterstock

Why climb a mountain? Because, per the famous Edmund Hillary quote (which was actually said by climber George Mallory), it’s there. You don’t have to scale Mt. Everest to get some fresh mountain air and the thrill of high vistas – just climb whatever hill or mountain is close. Plus the survival rate is likely a lot better than Everest.

Be alone

Be alone
Getty Images

Learning to be happy in your own company isn’t as easy as it sounds. But being alone doesn’t have to mean being lonely. The best way to figure out how to be content being alone is to practice it. Silence all the noise, find a place for private time, and the enjoy the music of your own thoughts. It’s nice, right?

Readers share 35 highs and lows of living alone. 

Never miss a deal again - sign up now!

Connect with us: