Breaking the Rules and Rebellion: Light-hearted Suggestions for Breaking the Rules

Do you like to break the rules and is rebellion the name of your game, or do you usually follow the rules? Do you walk away from rebellion with a clear conscience, or do you feel guilty afterward?

For those who love to break the rules willy-nilly, nothing I can suggest will be daring enough and so I won't even try. But for those who break the rules and feel guilty after, or who never break the rules and wish they could have a little rebellion-for the sake of giving life a tiny bit of an edge-I'm offering a few safe and simple ways to rebel. The minor infractions below are the ones that give the most fun, because flaunting them won't bring dire consequences. Well, as long as it doesn't become a habit, anyway.

Skip the Nightly Teeth Cleaning: It's true, we're supposed to brush our teeth several times a day; especially when we get up and before we go to bed. It's one of the best ways to avoid cavities and gum disease. It's also mundane, boring, repetitious and ... well ... sloppy, when foamy toothpaste dribbles down the chin. A few times a year I'll break the rules and skip brushing my teeth at night. As far as I can tell, it's had no adverse affect on my dental health. So, when life seems like one big rut, try skipping the night time brushing. And for those who worry-despite my reassurances-that their teeth will fall out, try swishing with mouthwash instead.)

Go to Bed Late: Remember how exciting it was as a kid to stay up late and sleep in the next morning? Go ahead and do it once in awhile. In fact, take the weekend, book a hotel, and leave the kids with Grandma and Grandpa so that staying up late and sleeping in really is possible. This is one of the rules I love to break ... but unfortunately, I have an internal clock that wakes me up at about the same time every morning, whether I stay up late the night before or not, so I don't rebel in this realm very often. The only downside to this might be a little tiredness the next day.

Eat an Unhealthy Breakfast: Tired of oatmeal, apples, and skim milk for breakfast? Breaking the rules on this one won't cause ill health, as long as it's just an occasional foray into the world of junk food, and you eat a decent lunch. This is my favorite time to break the rules, and at various points in my life I've had chocolate cake, cookies, fried green tomatoes (okay, maybe fried tomatoes are a little too healthy to be considered "breaking the rules," but I love them for breakfast, nonetheless), and a combo of grapes and root beer for breakfast. This last adventure in rebelliousness (grapes and root beer) happened when I was pregnant, and I wouldn't really recommend it to women who are expecting. No, not because it's so bad for pregnant women but because they''ll probably throw it right back up, like I did.

Wear Mismatched Socks: Face it, nothing feels more rebellious than knowing we're doing something we shouldn't, and doing it in plain sight. That's where the unwritten rule that socks must match comes in. When breaking the rules on this, go whole hog. Don't wear one dark blue and one black sock. That barely counts as rebellion at all! Wear two totally different colors or styles. And while sitting at the desk at work, and when no one is looking, show them off. The only consequence here is getting caught, and when that happens we can simply say the lights were out while we were dressing. (Okay, so we're stretching the truth, but if that's a worry then go ahead and put on mismatched socks in the dark.)

Skip Going to the Gym: Yes, I know, exercise is good for us. In fact, most of us make a resolution at the beginning of each new year to exercise more. However, there are days when getting physical activity sounds more like a grind than fun. That's why this is another great rule to break . To get the most out of it, plan on exercising. Write it on the calendar. Circle it in red. Then at the last minute, sit at home eating chocolate or watching a movie instead. A few days off a year won't hurt, and the only negative affect might be that others in the house will want to join in and will eat up all the chocolate.

So, there you have it, five easy and painless ways to incite rebellion in your life and to break the rules ... without getting a ticket, thrown in jail, or losing friends and family.

Sources:
Embedded links as listed above.
Personal experience.