If you turn on the news lately all you see are awful stories like Sandy Hook, shootings or how we are slowly killing our environment. Believing that we can in fact change the world, we get sucked into these causes trying to find a way to help and do our part, either to fix whats broken or find a new way. For the 20 somethings out there, like me, that is a big burden to carry on the same shoulders that are also trying to navigate finding a career that fits, relationships, family, finding out who we are and moving away from home to start a new beginnings.
It's not surprising when I begin to sit down and talk to others my own age we find that we are all feeling burnt out. We are in our mid-twenties and feeling completely exhausted and we haven't even had kids yet! We feel pressure from every angle; our society telling us to wait and enjoy our youth and make bad decisions, our parents telling us to make smart decisions to find a steady job that we can keep for 20 years like they did, or Facebook telling us how great everyone is doing with there new babies, great careers and happy marriages.
Are you feeling the pressure yet? Everyone is trying to tell you what to do and what the right thing to do is and all I want to do is be five years old again. The time when you could wear all your favorite pieces of clothing even though they didn't match, color for hours, eat cereal for a snack or make up silly games like the floor was lava and you had to make it from the living room to the kitchen for a secret mission. Well, why can't we do those things anymore? Who said growing up had to be monochromatic and lame?
In the midst of trying to figure out my next move, I am taking a break from the panic and the stress to just be me. In fact, I am sitting here in my favorite black summer hat, wearing a green hoodie from my Alma Mater, VS black and pink yoga pants and fuzzy pink socks that come up to my calf. No none of it goes together or has any real purpose other than warmth, but who cares. Embracing the five year old mindset of "I am happy and I don't care" can really help reset and recharge. My 2 bowls of Lucky Charms and a bit of coloring in my favorite Disney coloring book this morning has made me even more productive than I have been all week.
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So I challenge you, every once in a while, take some time to just be your five year old self. Life is too short to stress yourself into oblivion. So turn off the adult mode and call a friend to have a sleep over, grab some crayons and just doodle on some scrap paper. Just do it for you.The best part is you aren't harming anyone, its not bad for your health like drinking or smoking, and it might just re-light the fire that makes you, well, you!
Looking for some fun kid ideas here is a list of some favorites (thanks to a little help from a friend):
1. Color - In between the line or out of the lines, just do what you like to do.
2. Dance - Like nobody is watching to the corniest, lamest song you can find.
3. Eat Fun Cereal - For dinner, lunch, a late night snack. They are super yummy and not that unhealthy.
4. Sing Along - To every song on the radio.
5. Wear Whatever - Yeah that's right wear those MC Hammer pants with that fun top from Forever 21! (Just not on that date coming up! Haha)
6. Call Mom or Dad Just to Talk - Remember how much you wanted to tell your parents all about your day when you were 5? Why not do it again, and they will love it too.
7. Slumber Party - No boys allowed slumber parties were a blast, now you are old enough to add in wine. So call up your girlies and schedule some gossip time.
8. Make Up Silly Games - Buy some Nerf guns and declare war on anyone in your apartment.
9. Play Outside - Go get some sun and get dirty or just walk in the woods.
10. Bake Cookies - And just eat the dough.
11. Buy Some Play Dough - Or make some, or find some river clay. Build up anthing you want and destroy it all the same.
12. Pet a Pooch - It is a scientific fact that petting animals reduces stress. So rescue a puppy or volunteer at an animal hospital.
Happy Being 5!!!
