Wake up. Brush teeth. Eat. Work. Eat. Sleep. Repeat. Monday. Tuesday. Wednesday. Thursday. Friday. Weekend. Life can blur as the hours and weeks pass. While routines are a great way to increase productivity and to reduce stress, according to Northwestern Medicine, routines can also take away from a person’s immediate experience and strip creative inspiration away, Psychology Today wrote. When you travel the same road every morning, you space out and ignore sounds, sights and smells. Instead, you retreat into your mind and dissociate from reality.
Psychology Today explained that the novelty of a vacation forces a person to live in the present. Sitting on your living room couch, however, is too familiar to evoke any of the emotion a new location does. Here are four ways you can escape your routine and experience something new.
Go Somewhere
Act spontaneously and take a random trip to a nearby place. Visitors explore and learn about new locations as they walk on cobblestone and grass. In taking this leap, you’ll feel more connected to your sight and smell because the novelty will entice you.
If you don’t feel comfortable traveling, go to a local park and take in your surroundings. Going outside in general is a great way to break your routine, even if it’s only for 30 minutes.
See Friends
According to the Mayo Clinic, friendships enrich your life and improve your self-confidence. It’s hard to nourish friendships when working and living a packed life. After all, friendships take work and time.
But you can nurture friendships and reap the benefits through opening up, listening and setting time aside to see your friends. By going out with your friends, you’ll leave the house, talk to someone pleasant and have fun!
Self-Care
According to Southern New Hampshire University, self-care is defined by caring for yourself through acknowledging physical, mental and spiritual needs. It looks different from person-to-person. Some people practice self-care when they read a book. Others take care of themselves through working out or meeting up with friends.
Whatever it may look like for you, it’s a great way to avoid the burnout that can come from a strict routine. The act of caring for yourself reduces the likelihood of anxiety, depression and resentment, according to SNHU. And it allows you to live in the present.
Try New Food
Try a new recipe or dish to break out of the normal. Through trying this new dish, you’ll explore different tastes and open your senses up to a novel experience. It’s also something different to do.
It’s easy to eat ramen and pasta every day. It’s fun to eat a dish of fried rice or fried cauliflower instead.
If your routine works for you, don’t change it! It’s a great way to make sense of your life. However, if you start to feel burnt out, spice your life up through tiny, minute activities that can brighten your day.
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