At one point or another, we all find ourselves stuck in a rut. Sometimes it comes and goes in the blink of an eye. Other times, we cannot seem to escape it.
If you belong to the latter group, here are four things you could try.
Fixing Your Home
If you are starting to feel bored, anxious, or a bit overwhelmed, perhaps what you need is a change of scenery. And this starts with the place where you live. For many of us, this is the place where we spend the vast majority of our time inside.
When it comes to fixing your home, change doesn’t have to be monumental to be effective. You don’t have to tear everything down and then build it back up again. Rather, you can focus on a few areas here and there that will make the biggest difference.
For instance, you could change the door or install a new set of windows. Or you could paint the interiors a different color, do general cleaning, or change the arrangement of your furniture. The important thing is not what you do. What matters is that you bring a breath of fresh air into your property and a new sense of excitement into your life.
Going Somewhere
If one were to define the word somewhere, one would focus on a place, not a distance. Yet, as with our homes, many of us believe that traveling entails airplane tickets, far-flung destinations, and a lot of expenses. Once again, this is far from the truth.
At its most basic level, going somewhere means not being in the place where you are now. How far or how close, how long or how short, that is up to you. If you live in the northern hemisphere on the east side and want to travel to the tip of Argentina, there is no reason why you shouldn’t. Likewise, if you call the southern hemisphere on the west side your home, you can visit the Spanish colonial city in Montevideo, Uruguay. It’ll probably be only a few hours away.
As far as time, make it a few days if you can, perhaps even a week. And don’t take everything you can with you. Pack light instead. Keep in mind that you are temporarily escaping from your regular life. A such, you can take a break from who you are as well.
Reinventing Yourself
One of the best lines in Batman Begins, the first installment of Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Trilogy is when Bruce Wayne tells Rachel Dawes that he is a good person. To this, she answers, “It is not who you are underneath, but what you do that defines you.”
For one reason or another, human beings love to place labels on each other. He is the funny guy. She is a smart lady who only cares about her career. Those two will never amount to anything. And while there is nothing wrong with doing that, as long as it is not offensive, one or two things about our personality or behavior don’t encompass everything we are.
If you find yourself in a rut, do something different. Do something that you wouldn’t normally do, no matter how extravagant or out of character it may seem to others. And if you get tired of that, then do something else. We all have many lives jam-packed into one. So do what you can and what you want to maximize yours.
Thirst for Knowledge
Most people learn a new language when they either have to travel to that place or meet someone who speaks it. Most people acquire a new skill when there is a need for it in their job or personal lives. And it is quite understandable. After all, why would you put in the effort to learn something you will never need? Isn’t that a complete waste of time?
The answer to these questions is no. First, even if you might not need it today, you never know what tomorrow might bring. How sure are you that a global pandemic won’t shake the entire world, and you’ll be forced to work from home? That IT certification you were thinking about getting does sounds handy now, doesn’t it?
Second, there shouldn’t be a reason for you to improve yourself as a human being. The act of learning for learning itself is valuable enough. Furthermore, it’ll open your eyes and give you a new outlook on your life.
If you’re desperate to break out of that funk, fix your house or go somewhere. And if you have the time, explore the different sides of your personality or learn something new. Soon enough, you’ll be released from whatever is holding you back, and you can focus on being the best person you can be.