Connect in your community. Take your empathy skills to the next level by understanding what other people experience as a group or culture, for example. This will help you be socially aware at a community, or perhaps even global, level.  Find a volunteer opportunity that requires you to listen to and tend to the needs of another person or group. For example, you may wish to work at a food pantry or soup kitchen to understand the needs of people in poverty. You may wish to visit homebound senior citizens experiencing loneliness. You may wish to help new immigrants learn the language of their new country. Explore service opportunities in schools, cultural centers, political organizations, religious communities or neighborhood activities. Meet people in the population you are interested in. Read books written by people in this group, or listen to podcasts with a host from this group. This will give you insight into their lives and increase your awareness of problems they face. Immerse yourself in a different culture. Step out of your comfort zone to experience unfamiliar groups. Exposing yourself to diverse cultures and ways of life will expand your thinking and view of the world. Being immersed in different belief systems, cuisines and lifestyles is useful for expanding your social circle and building tolerance for diverse viewpoints.  If you are a student, spend a semester or do coursework abroad. Talk to people on your travels. Many people will be friendly and willing to share their country with you. To really learn about a country, venture out of tourist areas and into local neighborhoods. This gives you a better opportunity to see day-to-day life unfold. If you can't afford a trip out of the country, consider local opportunities to learn about other cultures. You may be surprised at the variety of people who live near you.  Visit a local museum devoted to an ethnic group or culture. Spend a day in an ethnic neighborhood in your community (or perhaps nearby larger city). Walk around the neighborhood and try a new food for lunch. Attend a religious service of a faith different from yours.

Summary: Search for volunteer opportunities. Educate yourself about different people and their concerns. Travel abroad. Travel to a new part of town.


Look specifically for glitter primer. You can use a regular pigment primer, but glitter primer works the best because it is specially formulated for getting glitter to stick and stay. There are a wide range of products that are priced to fit any budget. Glitter primers typically range from about $7.00 - $20.00, and can be purchased at the cosmetic counter at your local department store or at a drugstore. Sprinkle just enough glitter for what you need. It’s better to start off with less and sprinkle more out if you need to. This helps you avoid wasting glitter or having to deal with trying to dump it back into the container. Sprinkling the glitter onto another surface allows you to mix glitter colors together to create custom shades, and also gives you better control so you don’t get too much glitter on your brush.

Summary: Purchase an eyeshadow primer at your local department store. Sprinkle some glitter onto the lid of its container or another flat surface.


You can do this using spray paint or acrylic paint. As you are painting, you may notice the material soaking the paint up quickly. Simply wait a few minutes, then go back over those areas. If you wish to add more colors or details, wait for the first coat to dry.  If you are using spray paint: hold the can 12 inches (30.48 centimeters) away from the surface of the mat, and spray straight down. The force of the paint presses down onto the stencil and prevents bleeding.  If you are using a foam brush: saturate the brush, then press it against the bristles of the mat. Continue applying the paint using a tapping motion. Don't paint back-and-forth, or you'll risk getting paint under the stencil. It can take up to 24 hours for the paint to dry. You may need up to three coats of paint, especially if you are painting sisal or coir. You can do this while the paint is still wet. Once you are done painting, carefully remove any pins or pieces of tape, then carefully peel the stencil away. Be careful not to touch your design. Even if it looks dry, it might still be wet around the edges. You can speed things up by setting it out in a sunny spot for a few hours. If you are using liquid paint, be sure to read the label carefully; some paints requiring a curing time as well. Once the paint is completely dry and cursed, set your doormat down in front of your door. Keep in mind that because the fibers are only painted, the colors may fade over time.

Summary: Paint over the stencil. Let the first coat dry, then add a second coat or details, if desired. Remove the stencil. Let the paint finish drying. Use your doormat.


One of the best ways for people with dyslexia to get organized is to simply use a calendar. Whether it’s a large wall calendar, a pocket journal, or an app, using a calendar helps you remember important deadlines and dates as well as use your time efficiently. Don’t just mark the date something is due, also mark the date you need to start, as well as any checkpoints in-between. Related to using a calendar, planning your day can help you use your time more efficiently, which can sometimes be a challenge for people with dyslexia. Think about the quickest and most logical way of doing things. This allows you to spend more time on tasks that take you a little longer.  Prioritize your tasks so that you can make the best use of your time. Think about which tasks are urgent, important, or unavoidable as well as which tasks will be time-intensive for you. Make a schedule to help guide your day. Try to schedule things that require a lot of focus during your more productive times of the day. Remember to include short breaks in your daily plan to allow your mind to recharge and refocus. People with dyslexia often struggle with remembering things. Making lists helps you be more organized and reduces the number of things you have to remember, which can free your mind to focus on tasks that require more concentrated attention.  Make lists of things you need to do, remember, keep with you, pick up, etc. Remember to refer to your lists throughout the day – they won’t do you any good if you don’t.  If you need to, make a master list of your other lists and refer to that one frequently.
Summary: Use a calendar. Plan your day. Make lists.