We tend to operate on auto-pilot most of the time. How about altering certain mechanics to return that feeling of self-awareness?
I initially leaned towards the title ‘backwards day’. However, I acknowledge that not all suggestions below are polar opposites to their originals. Some call for but a moderate alteration in rendering the new behavior. With that said, feel free to carry out a 90-180 degree shift in the mechanics of your habits. Should we then settle on titling it an ‘obtuse day’? Well, call it what you wish. I don’t care.
Without further ado, let’s proceed with a few suggestions.
- Brush your teeth in the opposite order and/or use your non-dominant hand.
- Switch hands for holding utensils.
- Rather, switch dominant/non-dominant hands for everything.
- Decrease shower water temperature. If you bath in steaming hot, transition to room temperature. If already at the latter, bath in cold water - at least part of the time.
- Alternate your social polarity. If normally social and active, take the day of solitude, quiet and reflection. If serious and introspective, be playful and nonchalant. And vice-versa.
- Switch writing mediums. If normally a typist, spend the day hand-writing. And vice-versa. Or audio-record your ideas if not normally the case.
- Reverse exercise intensity. If normally heavy-weight, switch to low-weight, high-rep, aerobic. If in the latter category, incorporate more weight or drastically slow down and emphasize form.
- Increase your fasting cycle (or rather, decrease the time-interval during which you eat). Ex: from 12 hours down to 8. Or further yet.
- Reverse the food-processing strategy. If you normally cook and season your ingredients, eat raw and plain whatever possible. If that’s already you, become creative and experiment with a more complex and composed recipe. Additionally, if you normally fine-slice ingredients, increase the coarseness or eat whole. And vice-versa.
- Alter the creative format. Transition between the blog, essay, short story, poetry, etc.
- Decrease environmental lighting. Use the minimal lighting necessary, or opt for low candle-lighting instead of electric.
- Alter your working or creative environment.
- Alter your typical reading genre.
- Watch a black and white and older film if normally inclined towards color and contemporary, and vice-versa.
- Alternate your form of communication. If normally inclined towards short and impersonal texts, have phone conversations. Or write a long letter for a change. Hand-write the letter even and mail it.
Questions, comments? Connect.