Mentally revisit your past selves and follow their joy

Spend some time thinking about some of your most fulfilling times.

What filled your time? Where did you go? What were your rituals? Who did you spend time with? Try pulling on some of those threads! Chase the feeling, not the glamor. (Read: Do not post about it on social media—you’ll end up doing things for the wrong reasons!)

For example, if the last time you felt fulfilled was on your last vacation… what were some factors that led to that feeling? Was it because you were surrounded by a language you couldn’t speak? Try taking a language class. Or was it fulfilling because you were able to be more spontaneous? Try taking a new route home from work or a different grocery store. Did you take the time to enjoy the sights? Plan to watch the sunset from a beautiful spot you don’t go to often enough!

Or maybe you had fun at a previous job. Was there a cultural element to that? An easy after-work hang out buddy? A morning coffee ritual in the office? Invite a friend for a recurring hang. Invite a neighbor over for tea. Maybe bring a fancy treat to the office next week as a surprise for your favorite colleagues.

Maybe in college you had a blast because you were constantly surrounded by friends. Tag along with your friends on their errands now. Offer to help making dinner with a friend or invite them to dinner at yours. Doesn’t have to be fancy. You can both wear pajamas and cozy socks.

Or rewinding way back, were you a child who played sports? Wrote stories? Painted? Find a rec league or an art class! You don’t have to be good at what you’re doing to stretch your mind. Learning new things forces you to pay attention, and that focus forces some amount of anxiety to shut the hell right up. Remind yourself: you do not have to be good. Just get out there! Lower the bar for yourself.

Hopefully some of the previous phases in your life give you a starting point for what you can try out again. Maybe some of those things aren’t as fun as they used to be, but maybe some are. And maybe they just lead you to something new that’s perfect for today’s best version of you. Good luck! ♥️