- Teach yourself a card trick.
There are many card tricks out there that rely on knowing a specific pattern, some basic sleight of hand, or some combination of the two. Learning a clever one and mastering how it’s done can be a great way to spend an afternoon, especially since the skill can be used again and again as a party trick. Here’s a great one to learn – it’s really clever and can utterly baffle people.
- Have an “entertainment swap” with a friend.
This one’s pretty easy. Just have a friend bring over a pile of their own DVDs, CDs, books, video games, etc. that they own that they think you’d like. When they get there, have a big temporary swap – swap them an item for an item. This not only will refresh your media collection for a while, but can provide a great opportunity for you to talk about your interests with a friend.
- Visit a free museum or a zoo (or find out when you might be able to get in for free).
Many cities have free educational attractions, such as zoos or museums. Make an effort to enjoy these free attractions. If your community doesn’t have free zoos or museums, call them and ask about opportunities for “free to the public” exhibits or “free days” or even free passes upon request. Quite often, you’ll find that there are many opportunities to enjoy museums, zoos, science centers, and the like without any cost at all.
- Go on a hike or a long walk.
Go to the local hiking or walking trails and just take off. Let yourself get absorbed into nature and simply enjoy the journey. Go at your own speed – this is for your own personal enjoyment, after all.
5. Have your own film festival.
Line up a series of movies in a single genre or featuring a single actor, actress or director. Invite friends over. Everyone should bring food or refreshments. Discuss the merits of each movie before moving on to the next one.
- Try a basic meditation technique.
Meditation is a spectacular way to push stress out of your life and calm yourself. Knowing how to meditate effectively and doing it regularly can be a major part of your stress management, and it costs nothing. Here’s a wonderful basic meditation technique to get you started – there are countless others out there. Try a few and see which ones work well for you.
- Learn how to juggle.
All you really need is three balls and a video showing you how to do it. Not only is it a fun activity to learn, it’s something that’s fun to bust out as a party trick on occasion (trust me, you can always get people to smile if you juggle three fruits in the kitchen while preparing something).
- Find a pick-up game or community sport.
Many towns have community sports fields where both youth and adult sports leagues and activities are regularly going on throughout the weekend. Stop by, watch a game or two, and if something intrigues you, look into joining either as a participant or as a volunteer. Many community sponsored sports are little to no cost
- Check out the community calendar.
Look at your town’s website (as well as those of cities and towns nearby) or stop by city hall to find a list of events going on in the community, many of which are free. You’ll often be surprised at how many interesting (and free) activities are going on right now in your area.
- Visit your community library.
Not only is a library a warehouse of books, most libraries also have extensive CD, DVD and video game collections you can check out. Many libraries also have film nights, book clubs, and many other events that you may be unaware of – completely for free. Stop in and check out what they have to offer.
Treatment Options
If you’re not recovery just yet, set yourself up to be. Creating a new a life without drugs and alcohol is a tangible goal for you. Call 888-811-2879 – Aion Recovery Center to find out more about our addiction treatment options.
Recent comments