Sometimes it feels like there's nothing worse than stagnation. You've been at the same job for too long; you've been texting the same people for too long; you've been drinking the same coffee for too long. At some point you've become complacent and lost the creative spirit to find new hobbies, or the will to break out of your routine. It's starting to get to you, and you have flashes of a younger, more virile self. Don't worry! It happens to everyone. But not everyone knows how to combat complacency. That's ok too. Here are some suggestions for how to add a bit of spice to your life without much money or effort.
1. Go To The Movies More Often
Adults now are becoming more comfortable with the idea of youth activities entering their life. Adult colouring books and simple mobile phone games like Candy Crush have re entered the lexicon of socially acceptable all-ages fun. Cinema's, what used to be the places for first dates and late nights after school at the arcade are now multi media complexes. Enjoy them! Even if you're not interested in movies, try it out. Two hours allows you to escape your world and enter a new one, even for a fraction of a day. Try this – have some free time? Just show up at the movies, see what's playing, and go see it. Worst case? You lost $10. Best case? You had a really fun time that you didn't know you could have, and learned something new about yourself. Have fun!
2. Turn Off Your Phone
I know. I'm sorry I said it. I am all too aware that this is something some of us cannot do for professional reasons or otherwise. But for those who can, watch the development ensue. Turning off your phone allows your mind to search for other forms of entertainment. For me, I start cleaning my house! You'll listen to old records, clean places you didn't know were dirty, and enjoy the social detachment and time for yourself. And when you get back to your phone tomorrow, you'll have lots of messages to catch up on – which will make you feel extra- important!
3. Join A Monthly Club
I'm not forcing you to join Cindy's Spin Class on Tuesday's at 10 pm. But you would be surprised how many monthly clubs there are that are affordable and interesting. Here's a recommendation – join a monthly coffee club. You can find a host of them online from all over the world. Every month you can choose a new flavour of coffee to try, learn more about coffee roasting, and, usually, have the satisfaction of supporting a new start-up, which are often fronted by young, progressive entrepreneurs. So you get to help out small business, and attract a new hobby, and have personalized coffee delivered to your door. Why not?!
4. Cook Something Totally Different
It might be a strange investment, but hear me out. Go out, and buy a random $30 cookbook. It could be Thai, Indian, or the Encyclopedia of Tiramisu. But what it's going to do is send you on a new path. Once you've picked a recipe to focus on, you will be meandering down new aisles, learning about new products and compositions, and using your kitchen in a new way. It will distract your mind and allow you to focus on an interesting and delicious new project. Your cooking skills will improve, and there's certainly nothing wrong with that! Reap the benefits afterwards by chowing down with your friends, and posting pictures on Facebook to make everyone else jealous. Who knew you could cook?
5. Take A New Route To Work
This one may be obvious but the surprising results can be positively interpreted. Take your new route for example. Maybe it's a longer way to work (in fact, I encourage it). Along the way, stop at a new place for coffee. Develop a relationship with the new baristas. Look around for cool new shops you didn't know existed. Wake up at a different time and focus on re- adjusting your standard routine. It's so simple, you didn't even realize it! You might even make new friends you didn't know existed – all because you took a different road to work!
6. Make a Puzzle With Your Friends
Although colouring books may be all the rage, they are still a bit too introverted of an activity to command real change. Chances are, you have other friends who are feeling a bit stagnant. Instead of going to the same old coffee shop or laundromat to catch up, invite your friend over to make a puzzle! Although it seems childish, you won't believe how fast four hours goes by when you are trying to align pieces of pandas and whales, and it's a great chance to catch up on old gossip and fun conversation.
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