York in Colour and the things i do when im alone....

the music while you read [optional]: Holocene- Vitamin String Quartet Cover

lately i've been thankful for having time on my own.

i have now had 11 weeks without a phone and its been a healthy thing, a good thing. 

im really good at being alone.

you should know what 'alone' is not the same as 'lonely', they are different things. 

here are some things i like to do when i am alone:

> take long walks, its easy for me to lose track of time now, i also don't own a watch. i think its good for us to lose track of time every now and then...

> i spend time writing. i find writing helps me process my experiences in life. i also write postcards to friends and family, i've sent over 100 in the last 8 months.

> i sing out loud/ i listen to new music. New music always makes me engage in the moment because its not something already familiar to me. I love singing and any opportunity when others aren't around, is an opportunity for me to sing. 

> i allow my mind to 'wander'. i use that word because a lot of the time, when life gets busy, i tend to keep my thoughts focused and will cut off those wandering thoughts; that usually lead to beautiful things like ideas and bravery.
So when i have time on my own i make sure i allow my thoughts to wander as far as they may. 

> i actively smile and make eye-contact. its very easy to forget to smile and there is some science behind why its good for you. For me, it is a physical response to thankfulness and a fun thing for the strangers around me. 

> i go to a place i've never been before. In a very small way, this helps me break habits of comfort and familiarity. That i don't want in my life.

> i try something i don't know much about. like cooking something i've never made before or trying a way of art that i've never used. eg- recently i went to my first life drawing class in London.

> i watch a movie, just cos i like movies. 

> i lay on the ground for a while. I used to do it for a whole song, usually 3-5 minutes, just to prove to myself that i can be still. i don't have music with me now, cos i don't have a phone so i just guess how many minutes go by while i look up into the sky #seewhatididthere? 

> i talk to a nearby stranger, like i said before alone doesn't have to mean lonely. 

> I will make a piece of art and hide it under my bed. one of these days i'll frame something and hang it on a wall.  

> i will write lists. lists help me prioritise things.

> i am content to take myself out for a meal- breakfast, lunch or dinner. 

> as much as i love my own time, its really wonderful to have amazing humans in your life too.

and York was really pretty.