Doing Things For Fun | The Eralia Show 🌿

Key wellness, self-care, and productivity strategies (plus the “doing things for fun” philosophy)

Prioritize joy over metrics

• Do activities for fun and personal development, not for KPIs, rank, “score,” or constant recording.
• Ask: “If nobody clapped, would I still do this?”

Keep some parts of life private (reduce performance pressure)

• Share selectively to avoid “accountability” and scrutiny that comes with being publicly visible.
• Notice the psychology of why you feel pressure to post/monetize—even when you started doing something just for yourself.
• Let yourself be a beginner and “bad at it” without turning it into a public performance.

Build “pillars” of becoming (balanced self-care system)

She describes journaling and creating a structured framework for self-investment across domains:

• Physical: exercise intentionally (e.g., runs), pair with calming inputs (audio books/music).
• Mental: schedule real reading time; avoid letting the brain be only academically/doom-scroll “fried.”
• Spiritual: align after high-stress periods; shift from constant striving to intentional presence.
• Emotional: process emotions rather than suppressing them; allow real feelings without needing perfection.
• Creative arts: continue pursuits like music/chess/games, not to produce content—just to grow.

Core principle: invest in these areas without immediate reward/paycheck/audience.

Use “immersive reading” to make learning sustainable again

• Combine audiobook + reading at the same time to reduce mental overload and rebuild focus.
• Re-enter genres or hobbies when your brain feels “fried” from too much pressure/academics.

Put the phone down to reduce comparison and regain presence

• Reduce comparison and the urge to record everything.
• Be more present in work and social life (she mentions weeks where she was noticeably more “there” with colleagues and tasks).
• Avoid constant doomscrolling; reclaim attention as a wellness practice.

Reframe rest and “not doing” (be intentional, not passive)

• Challenge the idea that rest should be empty or mindless.
• Instead of “waiting to do nothing,” rest should involve awareness and meaning (e.g., being present on vacation, reading, noticing surroundings).

Protect curiosity by keeping a beginner mindset

• Stay youthful by remaining curious and unashamed of exploration (compared to children’s “unfiltered chaos gremlin” energy).
• Embrace learning as an ongoing journey—“life is everything along the way,” not just a finish line.

Criticism diet: reduce hater/review-culture fixation

Recognize:

• Valid critique exists.
• But obsessive negativity (“hater culture,” early review/instant judgment) can crowd out joy.

Choose a healthier “lens” and allow yourself to enjoy things even if others don’t.

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Practical “do more fun” prompts she uses

• When’s the last time you did something for fun?
• What are you doing right now that you wouldn’t feel the need to share?
• What would you do if nobody clapped?
• What remains when you strip away your resume/title/online role?

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Presenters / sources mentioned

• Presenter/Host: Aurelia (The Eralia Show)
• Author mentioned: Brandon Sanderson
• Book/series mentioned: The Way of Kings / Stormlight Archive
• Philosophy source mentioned: Stoicism (general; via a stoicism book/prompt)
• Games mentioned: RuneScape: Dragonwilds; League of Legends; Valheim; Elden Ring? (implied by “Valheim-like” crafting comparison); Resident Evil (new one, plus older entries); Grand Theft Auto (GTA V referenced)
• Media/franchises mentioned: Marvel; Disney; Thor: Love and Thunder; Wolverine game; Resident Evil; God of War; The X-Men (comics tie-in)