20 spontaneous things you can do for yourself today

1.  Have your favourite food for one of your meals.

2.  Buy that book for yourself that you've been meaning to buy.

3.  Take a moment to crank up an awesome tune ...

4.  ... and sing along at the top of your lungs ...

5.  ... while you dance.  With abandon.

6.  Have dinner by candlelight.  Put some quiet, relaxing music on while you dine.

7.  Spend 5 minutes creating a comfort list:  a list of things you find soothing.

8.  Take a different route home.  A scenic one.

9.  Walk into a high-end jeweler and pretend you're interested in buying the most expensive watch or piece of jewelry in the joint.  Try it on.  Then look bored, smile ruefully, and tell the clerk that it doesn't look as flattering as you thought it would.  Thank her, and then walk out.

10.  Pass someone a note.  Fold it like you did in high school.

11.  Start an "atta me" file:  get a manila folder, and print out any emails where someone complimented you.  No emails?  Think back to the last time someone made you feel like a million bucks -- said something kind, opened the door for you, noticed a talent you have.  Jot the memory down on a piece of paper.  Shove it in the folder.  Do this every time someone makes you feel great.  Then pull out the file and look through it every time you need a boost.

12.  Take a photograph of something pretty.  Use your cell phone, if you don't have a camera handy.  No camera phone?  Sketch what you see, to capture the memory of the beautiful thing.  Just make a lovely image to look at later.

13.  Take five minutes and go outside.  Sit and breathe.  When you feel extra calm, return to your day.

14.  Walk outside to the sidewalk.  Try to balance along the curb as you walk for an entire block.

15.  Blow bubbles.

16.  Take an unreasonably long bath, if you're a bath person.  If, like me, you're a shower person, take a shower with the water about as hot as you can stand it.  Do it long enough that you run out of hot water.

17.  Drink water in a wine glass or a champagne flute in the middle of the day.  Just to feel fancy.

18.  Howl at the moon. 

19.  Jump on your bed.

20.  Buy yourself a bouquet of grocery-store flowers.  Peonies are in bloom right now.

Image:  Photographed with Nikon D300, 60mm micro lens.

Song:  Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen. You know, in case you're seized by the urge to do numbers 3, 4 and 5 right this very second, but can't think of an appropriate song.