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Lately, I’ve been thinking about why I generally feel more content when I am on a trip vs. at home, even though I am not dissatisfied with my life.
No Sunday scaries, no hitting snooze, no shortage of energy and motivation to go do things. I am present and rested. I am happy. Even if things go wrong — and they do — I am better able to roll with inconveniences.
I used to think this feeling was a function of being free of day-to-day responsibilities — and therefore completely unreplicatable in Real Life — but I’ve realized it’s not actually the absence of work or laundry or emails that leads to this feeling of contentment.
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It’s the addition of novelty.
Yes, that’s right! The thing we chase on our phones by scrolling!
I am someone who thrives with a routine, but sometimes routines can get, well, routine. When you’re on a trip, especially to someplace new, everything is novel — new places to explore, new things to see, new food to eat.
Sometimes people are genuinely unhappy/dissatisfied in their lives and need a big shakeup — a move to a new city, say — but I’m not talking about that today. I’m talking about doing extremely small things in your day-to-day — microdosing novelty, if you will — to better enjoy your actual life.
For me, this looks like trying a new recipe — I am food-motivated like a dog and having a breakfast I’m excited about is so clutch — or changing up my regular neighbourhood walk route, or where I drink my coffee in the morning, or when I do a workout.
It might mean going to a restaurant I’ve been meaning to try, or checking out an art exhibition I’ve been meaning to get to. It’s saying ‘why not today?’
An impromptu visit to the park might add some whimsy to your week. (Ruth Bonneville / Free Press files)
Playing tourist in your hometown is a valuable exercise. When you’re on a trip, you generally have a time limit to do all you want to do. At home, it’s so much easier to not do things.
I also find great novelty and pleasure from doing things that flip my own scripts. Reading a book in the morning, for example — why do I think that’s a bedtime activity? Or going for coffee or breakfast before work on a weekday. Why does that have to be a Sunday thing?
Speaking of, doing things during the week is a biggie. I used to save all the Fun Stuff for the weekends, and then spend what was left of my post-work, post-chore weeknights watching TV (or scrolling) and not feeling very rested despite, ostensibly, resting.
So my husband and I have started going to the park on a Monday, or taking advantage of Tuesday night movie deals. I have been saying yes to more spontaneous plans on a random Wednesday.
Fun doesn’t need to be consigned to Saturdays and Sundays. Doing One Fun Thing during the week is so cup-filling, even though you’re gonna tell yourself you’re “too tired.”
It might mean trying something completely new to you. A new hobby, a new fitness class, a new book club. You might hate it. But then again, you might love it.
You do not need to spend money, though. There is a social media trend of “romanticizing your life” which, while nice in theory — you light that candle, girl — started to feel a lot more like “aestheticize your life.”
Adding novelty to your life doesn’t mean spending money to make it look nice. It’s about making your life feel nice.
Tell me: what are some ways you might shake it up this week?
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