10 Childish Activities For Everyone Sick Of Adulting Right Now

Sometimes adult life can feel overwhelming, especially on days like today, when yet another poll has left Britain divided and uncertain.

Add in work, bills and responsibilities and it’s enough to make anyone run off looking for a field of wheat.

If you’re experiencing adulting apathy, it may be time to reconnect with your inner child.

On Reddit, people have been sharing the things they do that help them to experience the freedom of childhood.

We’ve rounded up 10 of our favourites to help you get through today (and beyond).

gruizza via Getty Images

1. “Walking from point A to B like a kid - balancing on curbs, avoiding paving stone edges, kicking sticks and pebbles. I’m just a lot more subtle about it than when I was 7. I’m 38.”

- little_carmine_

2. “Swings, I can get on a swing, sit on that tiny seat hanging between two chains and just lose myself in utter bliss swinging back and forth. I adored them as a kid and still do as an adult.”

- PrideandTentacles

3. “I honestly can’t resist bubbles.”

- atomsandgrace04

4. “Climbing trees, or just climbing in general.”

- genredacc

5. “Eating mac and cheese. You get really strange looks when you order off the kids’ menu at restaurants, but mac and cheese is just too delicious to be stopped by the disapproval of others.”

- alienmidfield

6. “Skipping. It makes 53-year-old me feel like a kid again.”

- omnichronos

7. “I’m 25 and still buy myself a Lego star wars set every few months. Fuck everyone, I’m a goddamn big boy and it’s my money. I want the sand crawler and I have the disposable income to buy one. 10-year old me would shit himself if he saw the fleet I have now.”

- itskelso96

8. “I still watch a lot of Spongebob....”

- ablack82

9. “Whenever me and my wife are alone, we get one of our kids video games and just play together like we did back at high school.”

- sh1ttym0rph

10. “Licking that sweet, sweet raw cake mixture out of the bowl.”

- Cripply

How To Steal The Secrets Of Danish Happiness

Trust(01 of05)

Knowing that both the state and the people around you have got your back is key to a content society. It's in the education system, with kids given empathy training at school, via the

From a young age, children are given empathy training in schools through the Klassens tid programme, which aims to build emotional awareness.

"We have a society that is built on trust," explains a Dane in a new video made by the Socialdemokratiet party. The film asks what trust means to Danes, who respond that it's everything from confiding in other people, to being honest, to something that is simply in their DNA. That trust extends to asking a stranger to look after your child while you go into the toilet, or the simple expectation that if someone borrows something, they'll give it back. And that when it comes to making a deal - a handshake, and your word - is as binding as any contract. This whole philosophy underpins how all of Denmark's institutions are run - society trusts in its people, and in return, the people rely on the systems in place to take care of them, providing security and stability and making Denmark one of the world's richest and most equal societies.

Check out the video below to see Danish trust in action. Spoiler alert: it's on point. (credit:MarijaRadovic via Getty Images)

Equality & Balance(02 of05)

When it comes to work vs. play, the Danes know what's important to them: they work hard, but they also prioritise other things in life: socialising, friends, family and hobbies.

In fact, according to this year's OECD Better Life Report, the Danes had a better work-life balance than any other country surveyed, with only 2% of employees regularly working long hours. Danes spend two-thirds of their days doing rather lovely things: eating, sleeping and enjoying leisurely activities. And yeah, even though Danes have a reputation of working from 8am-4pm each day, working fewer hours doesn't mean Danes are less productive (or less creative). But when 11.25% of those surveyed said they prioritised life satisfaction (compared with 8.04% who think income is of paramount importance), their attitude to life says it all. There's even a word for it: Arbejdsglæde, which means work happiness.

Another reason the Danish system of work-life balance actually works? Women are well represented in the workforce, even after having children. The generous policies the Socialdemokratiet put in place, like parental leave that can be split between mothers and fathers and a childcare policy in which the welfare state picks up 75% of the tab when it comes to sending your baby to a high-quality nursery, means that 85% of mothers return to work. Compare that with the stats from the NCT survey on first-time mothers going back to the workplace after baby, which found that 80% of all new mums were not going back to work, with over half saying that childcare costs were a key influence.

The Social Democrats also believe that a great society starts from childhood: as kids grow older, education remains free, so everyone can pursue whatever it is they love, even at university level.

We have a feeling even Danish babies are enjoying all of the happiness emanating from their relaxed, fulfilled parents: Danish babies don't cry as much as babies in other countries, according to a new study published in the Journal of Pediatrics, which found that babies in Denmark have some of the lowest colic rates. (credit:T.T. via Getty Images)

Enjoying The Great Outdoors(03 of05)

It won't surprise you to know that Danes love nature. They like playing sports outdoors, many have cabins in the woodland or countryside that they escape to and in Copenhagen, you'll find more bikes than inhabitants, with women in heels through to the country's top politicians riding their bikes through blizzard conditions.

In the nation's capital, 50% of citizens commute to work by bike every day, and there are almost 400 kilometres of biking lanes. And yes, you'll even see little children cycling along next to their parents.

A recent report in Danish newspaper Kristeligt Dagblad stated that more and more Danes are spending time outdoors, reconnecting with Mother Nature by taking up winter bathing or joining a scout association, with over 140,000 people sleeping in the woods in 2016.

And we've all seen the proof that being outdoors makes you happier, from our own experiences after spending an invigorating afternoon outside to scientific studies, like a 2012 one from the University of Essex which found that the colour green makes exercising seem easier or the recent study published in Scientific Reports which found that being outdoors can even help lower blood pressure.

Leaving babies outside is also part of the Danes' embracing of the great outdoors - parents believe frisk luft (fresh air) is crucial for babies and promotes healthy development. (credit:william87 via Getty Images)

Being Nice To Yourself(04 of05)

In Denmark, the unspoken motto may be that we all look after each other, but Danes also look after themselves. There's a reason that the concept of hygge - cosiness and indulgence - has become such a buzzword in the UK (to the point that Morley College even decided to teach the concept to students as part of its Danish language course).

But hygge is a state of mind as much as a state of comfort, and putting on your knit socks and snuggling by the fire will only get you so far. For one, the concept of hygge is part of a bigger Danish mentality which centres on being kind to yourself. Instead of the binge-purge cycle us Brits so often adopt, where after we spend weeks depriving ourselves of food, we then stuff our faces later and feel horribly guilty as a result, the Danes eat their delicious cinnamon rolls and apricot custard turnovers with no consequences. They simply enjoy. (credit:Francis Dean via Getty Images)

Home Is Where The Heart Is(05 of05)

The Danes know a thing or two about how to create interiors that are inviting, airy and stylish - there is no stressful clutter in sight, everything has its place, there's an emphasis on natural, organic design materials and smart designer accents contribute to the overall sense of comfort and style.

The Danes are indeed a "design society," but having a beautiful home isn't just about the aesthetic appeal: according to scientists at UCL who observed what happens in the brain when you look at art, looking at something beautiful can give you a happy feeling akin to gazing at someone you love.

The Year of Living Danishly author Helen Russell writes that every Danish home is centred around the dining room table, because having family meals together is an important part of daily life in Denmark.

The concept of hygge comes into play in the home especially - think lots of candles, gorgeous lighting and relaxing music. It's central to the Danish design ethos and is all about creating an atmosphere that cultivates warmth, cosiness, peace and happiness - something the Danes are already doing in their minds. (credit:Klaus Vedfelt via Getty Images)

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