Sometimes there are days when I want to see no one and just stay home and do nothing. This weekend, for example. The weather in Maple, Ontario is about 5 degrees, sometimes it rains and most of the time there are very strong winds- brrr. I am embracing the time at home and looking for things to do that involve staying in and focusing on my introvert nature. For those like me, I created a list of things to do on the weekend (also applies to citizens of cold northern countries who do not go outside on the weekdays either due to cold weather):

1. Read a book. Occasionally I feel like I have no books to read and then I look at my bookcase, and then at my husband’s bookcase, and then I realize I also have a Kindle e-reader, so really, I do not have an excuse. There are so many books that I haven’t read! Plus they also a good distraction.

2. Listen to music you feel like. Think about what it is you feel like, listen to yourself. For example, if you normally like European dance music but you just not feeling like it – listen to something that aligns with your mood. Once I had a mood for a jazz and found a decent online radio station with music from 1930s (it is called Radio Dismuke if you are interested. And it is free).

3. Get to know/research yourself. It can involve reading your horoscope in detail, researching numerology and calculating your ‘true’ number, doing a taro card spread, reading about a true meaning of your name, ordering something from ancestory.ca … While you are at it, is also helpful to google yourself and clean up some of old accounts or update information on sites such as LinkedIn.

4. Watch your favourite movie. This one is a no-brainer at the age of Netflix. However, I find myself most of the times wasting time looking for new shows rather than enjoying the movies and shows that I am familiar with that I know bring me joy. They may be lame, from early 90s or out of context but I love them anyways. Good movies are timeless. Bonus points if you are enjoying the movie in a blanket, with some comfort food and your loved one (pets count!)

5. Write your thoughts. I don’t know about you, but I sometimes have so many thoughts that they overwhelm me and prevent me from relaxing. From keeping a mental list of things to do, to cook, to buy, to do at work, to some long-term thinking, writing it on paper helps to clear mental space.

6. Do some physical self-care. It can include some physical exercise, for example by finding Zumba videos on Youtube and repeating their moves, to some yoga or guided meditation (Let’s meditate is a great app!).

7. Do a lengthy beauty ritual. Take the time and do something for yourself – such a hair mask, face mask, manicure or a babble bath. If you make your own mask from natural ingredients, you will feel even better!

8. Create something. There is a different kind of energy you get when you switch from a role of consumer to a role of creator. You can create anything – a video, a photo collage, a poem, a short story, a bath salt or your own soap, or anything else that comes to your mind. But when you do, you will feel much better! Just do it for yourself.

9. Drink something soothing. I am a big tea drinker, so when I take the time to make the tea right, I instantly feel a difference (meaning making real tea following the Russian method instead of using tea bags). To do it you need a small tea pot (with a filter), real tea leafs and a kettle with hot water.

1. Pour a small amount of hot water in the tea pot and rinse it with it. Then pour it out. This will help the tea pot make the tea more aromatic.
2. Put 5 tea spoons of the tea leafs in the tea pot, pour the hot water just enough to cover them. Close the lid and wait 2 minutes.
3. Add some more hot water 2 more times, waiting about 2 minutes between each time until the tea pot is full of water.
4. Now you can pour some tea in a cup from the tea pot (1/4 cup or less), and add hot water until the cup is full. Enjoy!

If you are not a tea drinker, you can also make a hot chocolate, or a fancy coffee drink at home, depending on the type of coffee and a coffee machine you have at home. Most fancy drinks we get from Starbucks have basic ingredients – coffee or espresso, hot milk, water and caramel sauce.

10. Bake something. I did not like baking for a long time because it was hard. However, once I invested in measuring cups (which were like, $2, I just did not know they existed!), I finally started portioning right and things picked up! There are many recipes that use basic ingredients that most of us have at home. Plus, when baking, you get to both be creative and enjoy the fruit of your labour later. An easy recipe for a lemon cake is coming up!

11. Play with pets. Okay, that applies to those who have them. I personally have 3 cats and 1 dog so there is always someone to pet. Highly recommend:)

12. Organise your photos. Something that brings pleasure – looking at the photos we took few months or maybe years ago, picking up the ones that we like and ordering prints. We have lots of physical albums with photos, and we also enlarge some of the really good photos and frame them and hang them at our space. Really cheers you up!

13. Achieving an extreme Hygge-vibe. The best way to feel cozy is to read about it! Get a book about Hygge (there are lots of them now!) and indulge. For best results, I recommend lighting up candles, wearing warm wool socks and blankets and writing messages (or even letters) to your friends or relatives that make you happy but that you did not keep in touch for long (e.g. if they live in another country). And yes, I just summarised what Hygge book is about.