Change is good
It has now come to my attention and also re-affirmed that change is good!
All kinds of changes: big, small, insignificant or extremely impactful. Change is what gets us out of a rut, makes our life a bit more interesting, and allows us to maintain high levels of happiness. You know what they say, ‘too much of a good thing is also a bad thing’, and that is what research has also affirmed.
Breaking up your usual routine, even with small changes, is already enough to help you gain a different perspective about life and who you are. Such as: putting on your socks before your underwear (or vice versa if you’re that kind of person), going a different way to work (if you got the time to chance the traffic), changing your hair cut or trying on something different in your appearance. Choosing to be a bit more playful with your usual and automatic choices can make your mundane routine a bit more fascinating.
I’ve tried this experiment myself. This week I found pockets of my time where I approached things differently, I changed my hair colour to something a whole lot more bolder than usual, started listening to a podcast instead of my usual music playlist, I changed the location of my work station for a day, and upped my coffee intake (okay, the last one I definitely do not recommend). I felt their effects and it was definitely a change from my usual! They piqued my interest and sense of fun, and gave me something to talk about with my friends.
Okay, some routines are hard to break; especially the ones where you are responsible for such as picking your children up from school or meeting your deadlines at work. Instead you can introduce little changes that can be adapted seamlessly into your routine. Such as choosing a different music playlist to accompany you on your travels; trying out different foods and drinks in your break time; watching a different kind of programme from a different country or downright detaching from your devices and grabbing a book instead for your relaxation time; or moving your furniture around just to get a different feel of the same space.
You might not always like the change, but that is not the point. The fact that you are experimenting and trying out different things, helps you to become more present and mindful of the new experience prolonging your enjoyment in life. Changing things up can lead to insightful a-ha moments about yourself, re-affirm your likes and dislikes, and lessen the inevitable outcome of your fancies becoming dull. For example, if you love and always choose vanilla ice cream, try another flavour! This could lead you to either cherish vanilla ice cream more, or expanding your palate!
So, try challenging yourself this week. Change something up for the following seven days. You can share your experience by commenting below. I’m curious to hear what you did, and what you’ve learnt about yourself.
