10 gentle things to do this weekend

Play with gravity, dance in the kitchen, light a candle, and doodle for a friend.

1. Look at a plant.
   Observe it from up close. See the grooves on the leaves. Study it from afar. Touch the soil.

2. Make a doodle for a friend.
   Doodle something. It doesn’t have to be good. Just make it thoughtful. You can doodle a flower and use markers to colour the stems and petals. No one in mind to doodle for? Make it for a friend you haven’t met yet.

3. Dance in the kitchen.
   Turn on something groovy as you do the dishes or prepare some food. Boogie.

4. Play with gravity.
   Find a half-empty bottle, or fill one halfway. Gently rotate it. Feel how the liquid shifts with gravity. Notice how the water interacts with the same force that keeps you grounded on your feet (or your butt).

5. Take a break from an app or website.
   Check which apps or sites use the most screen time. Can you go 24 hours without one of these? Try it — see how you feel. Some suggestions: Instagram, Reddit, Pinterest, ChatGPT, dating apps, news websites.

6. Light a candle.
   If someone else in the house usually lights candles, then beat them to it. If not an evening goes by without you lighting a candle; try lighting one more mindfully this weekend. Bring all your attention into the moment. Watch how the wick catches fire. Watch the first bit of wax heat up and melt.

7. Listen to a song you don’t remember Shazaming.
   Open Shazam. Scroll back in time. Find something you don’t know. Listen to it. If it has lyrics, then look them up and sing along. If you remember who you were with when you Shazamed it, send it to a friend.

8. Throw something out you’re not using anymore.
   Or put it up for sale online. Say goodbye to it. Release yourself by letting it go.

9. Ask someone about their favourite childhood memory.
   And think of your own, because they’ll inevitably hit you back with the same question.

10. Set a 3-minute timer and journal.
    Just write whatever comes to mind. Write what you are feeling. How you are breathing. What you want. What you are worried about. What you are doing. If you’re not done when the timer finishes, then just keep going. Take as long as you need.

Have a gentle weekend, friend.

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For regular readers of this newsletter: next week, I’ll be sharing an update regarding my ‘offline evenings challenge’ that I’ve been doing for the month of October. It has been surprisingly challenging, and I’ve had to make a few adjustments. Going offline at 8 pm every day turns out to be harder than leaving my phone at home for a month.

More next week. Don’t forget to sign up if you’re not subscribed yet.

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(- ‿- ) For your ears

I’ve been dancing around my apartment to IIII, the recent debut album by bass-supergroup VIER, which is composed of producers Machinedrum, Holly, Salvador Breed, and Thys (also known for being part of Noisia, one of the biggest names in drum & bass). The production on the record is top-notch, as one would expect, and is an innovative celebration of the four’s backgrounds as well as bass music in all its diversity.

The album culminates with the lyrical masterpiece “LOOK AT THE TREES”. If you’d like to sing along, here are the words:

“Fuck. It’s a beautiful day. Look at the trees. The sun is shining.”

🌤️ 🌳