Wanting to break out of a rut? Do you feel like you’re living the same week every single week? If you do, then don’t worry — you’re certainly not alone! The majority of people feel this way from time to time. It’s a normal consequence of settling into a normal routine. However, while it’s nice to have some stability, at some point you might begin to feel like you’re in a rut, and feel that it’s time to mix things up a little.
Thankfully, there are plenty of things you can do to liven up your life. In this post, we’ll go through a bunch of easy-to-follow actions that can help to make things more interesting. You’ll be out of your rut in no time!
Get Moving
A little bit of movement can do wonders for your sense of self. And when we say, ‘moving,’ we mean literally. If you’re looking to generate some action, then consider joining a gym or starting another physical activity. It’s tempting to stay sitting on the couch, but the truth is that growth rarely happens when you’re sedentary. By working out in the gym, you’ll be getting your internal engine firing, and you never know what you might do with all that new energy you generate. Plus, working out has been shown to boost mental health, so you’ll be giving yourself a fine dose of optimism as well.
Try Something New
You’ll likely feel in a rut because you’re doing the same thing over and over again. The solution? Do something new! There are a million and one fun and exciting things you can try. It’s not so much about finding a new lifelong hobby, but more about just pushing yourself to try new things. Some activities you’ll do just once, others will become a more permanent part of your life. If you’re looking for some inspiration, then ask your friends if you can join the next time they’re going climbing/to pottery/playing their favourite sport. They’ll be delighted to have you join!
Meet New People
Think of all the goodness that your current friends have brought to your life. And now think of what a new person you haven’t met yet could add to your life. Most of us stop searching for friends once we have a firm group of friends, but there’s a lot of value in continuing to make new connections throughout life. You can find new friends by joining a sports group or simply making an extra effort to speak to people who are currently on the periphery of your life. As well as friends, single individuals may consider pushing themselves to attend a speed dating event to see if they can find a romantic partner. You really don’t know what type of journey you may go on once you’re open for love!
Meditation and Yoga
We mentioned earlier how it can be beneficial to hit the gym and get your body moving. That can be terrific in helping to improve our physical health and give us more energy, and it’ll also benefit your mental health too. You can take this even further by looking at starting at yoga and meditation. These two activities can have a phenomenally positive impact on a person’s life, helping to boost positivity, making you feel more relaxed, and all-around feeling more confident.
It can feel a little intimidating to start meditation and yoga since they both require some knowledge. However, there are plenty of online resources that can help you get started from the comfort of your own home, so give them a try. Within a week or two you’ll notice a big difference.
Say Goodbye to Alcohol
If you don’t drink much alcohol, then you can forget this one. But, if like many people in the UK, you find that you drink alcohol most days, then it may be worthwhile taking a break for a month or two. Alcohol consumption has become so normalised that we rarely think about the impact that it has on our mental and physical well-being, and it’s only once we stop that we understand. Taking a break can help you break out of a rut because, first, it’ll give your physical and mental health a boost, and second, it’ll ensure you have the energy and space to do more interesting things.
Take a Trip
There’s nothing that’ll breathe life into you more than taking a trip. It’s a guaranteed way to wake up the cells and make you fall in love with life once more. If you’re looking to get the most from your trip, consider going somewhere that’s truly special, or which you’ve always wanted to visit. Spending a week on a beach can be fun and relaxing, but it may not offer the challenging aspect needed to break out of your rut. A backpacking trip through a country in Southeast Asia, however, will very much serve that purpose!
Turn Off the TV/Internet
Do you find that you’re spending many evenings scrolling through social media or watching TV? Then it’ll be little wonder if you’re beginning to feel a little bored. While those activities can be OK in moderation, if they’re taking up the bulk of your evenings, then it’s inevitable that you’ll feel a little bored.
The solution? Turn them off. You’ll feel a little unsure of what to do for the first half an hour, but eventually, you’ll work your way through the boredom and come up with something fun and interesting. TV and the internet are easy sources of distraction, but they’re not necessarily the best.
Go Into Nature
Finally, consider taking a trip into nature. Living in the city or an urban area is good, but there’s a lot of value in spending time elsewhere from time to time. Going for a long hike gives you the perfect opportunity to reflect on things and get yourself to a bigger state of mind. Plus, spending time in nature has been shown to boost happiness too, which will increase your optimism moving forward.
