Lying on your back watching clouds with nobody around is one of the most underrated free activities out there.
STILLNESS
WHAT THIS MEANS
A few of the best things to do cost nothing and produce nothing, which makes them hard to justify and easy to skip. Lying on your back looking up puts you somewhere nothing is expected of you, and your attention loosens without switching off. It is not meditation and it is not a hobby. It is closer to letting a tired part of your head sit down.
Give it twenty minutes this week, in a garden or a park or on a roof, with your phone face down beside you. Expect to feel ridiculous for two minutes and stay anyway, because the useful part arrives after that.
A QUESTION TO SIT WITH
When did you last lie back and watch the sky move?
MORE IN SOLITUDE & SELF-KNOWLEDGE
- Your patterns are the things you swear you’ll never do again, on repeat. Write them down so you see them coming.
- The “strong friend” needs somebody to ask how they’re doing too. If that’s you, let someone in.
- Most people ask themselves “why am I like this?” Better question: “When did I start doing this?”
Free, with nothing to buy inside it.