How to Make Life Feel Less Repetitive
Make personal changes., Make adjustments to date night., Add some spontaneity to your friendships., Think about changes to your work routine., Change up your routine.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Make personal changes.
Sometimes a change to your appearance can be a catalyst for bigger changes in your life.
Get a haircut.
Sometimes a new cut and color, especially if it's drastically different from what you've had before, can be just the ticket to elevate your mood and get you out of a rut.
Just be sure you talk with your stylist first to ensure that the look will be flattering on you-- you don't want to end up with a cut you don’t love.
Studies show that our hair has a profound effect on our self-esteem and mood.Get a tattoo.
More permanent than a haircut, a tattoo can be a fun way to document your values, friendships, or milestones.
Be sure you consider carefully what you want and shop around for the best artist. -
Step 2: Make adjustments to date night.
If you and your significant other don't have a date night at all, set aside time each week (or at least each month) to be together doing things you love; it can help strengthen your relationship.
If you do have a regular date night but it has become a predictable routine (dinner and a movie, anyone?), add some variety to your time together so that your relationship does not start to feel predictable and boring.Think of date night as a chance to reconnect and get to know more about each other.
Even if you've been together for years, seeing each other in new settings and trying new things can be a fun way to get to know parts of each other you haven't seen before.
Do something outside your normal routine; consider taking dancing lessons, going rock climbing, taking a couples' painting class, or taking cooking lessons.
For a cheaper alternative to art and cooking lessons, improvise at home: buy a nice bottle of wine and a few canvases and paints at your local hobby store, then shop the ingredients for a fancy gourmet meal (the internet is full of great recipes).
Add some romantic music and your evening is set! , Sometimes we get into a rut with our existing friendships and forget how to make new ones.
Studies show the more relationships you have with people you care about and who care about you, the less likely you are to experience depression.
Friendship also helps you deal with stress and rebound from disappointment.If you and your best friends always end up talking about the same subjects when you are together, it might be because you don't have enough common frames of reference to make interesting conversation.
You need to share many experiences in order to build up a base of memories and common friends, instead of meeting up for coffee or drinks, think outside the box when you plan your girls' or guys' night out.
Catch a great concert, set fitness goals together (for instance, to train for a marathon), or learn a new hobby or skill together to give you more great topics for conversation.
Making new friends can be tough; the key is to try to find someone in the same stage of life as you.If you're single and/or childless, try going to a new club, church, bar or other social setting; look for other folks who seem eager for someone to talk to and chat with them.
If you have young children, plan play dates with other parents or look online for local meet-ups and playgroups. , Work comprises the majority of our waking hours during the week, so make changes to ensure that your work isn't what is dragging you down with its redundancy.
Finding a new route to work.
Stop driving or walking down the same old streets.
Take a bicycle, or ride the bus, or just find a new route along different streets in town.
Starting your day with a new perspective triggers creativity and can set the tone for your workday.Ask for a new assignment.
If you've been working on repetitive or uninteresting projects, ask your supervisor if there are any other projects you might work on.
Look for a new job.
If your job is the main culprit in your feelings of repetitiveness, consider what types of careers might be more interesting and offer more opportunities for different experiences each day.
Try taking a career aptitude test (search online for many examples) to see what you're well-suited for, then start looking in your area for a new position.
Be sure you don't quit your current job until you have something else lined up in writing, or else you might end up out of work. , Even if you can't change other aspects of your life, you can alter the parts that are in your own control to add more variety.
Wake up earlier.
Instead of rushing to get ready in the morning and then running late, get up an hour earlier than you normally do and go for a run outside.
This will help your mood, alleviate your anxiety, ward off illness by boosting your immune system, and let you enjoy the best part of the day as you run.Try a new bar or restaurant.
Sticking to the same haunts every weekend is dull and prevents you from meeting new people and trying new things.
Consider an ethnic cuisine you've never had or a bar with local music.
Pick up a new hobby or art form.
Perhaps you have always wanted to try needlepoint, tennis, or rock-climbing.
Something new to do on weekends can help alleviate your boredom and add variety to life, and give you something to look forward to when the week feels long and dreary. -
Step 3: Add some spontaneity to your friendships.
-
Step 4: Think about changes to your work routine.
-
Step 5: Change up your routine.
Detailed Guide
Sometimes a change to your appearance can be a catalyst for bigger changes in your life.
Get a haircut.
Sometimes a new cut and color, especially if it's drastically different from what you've had before, can be just the ticket to elevate your mood and get you out of a rut.
Just be sure you talk with your stylist first to ensure that the look will be flattering on you-- you don't want to end up with a cut you don’t love.
Studies show that our hair has a profound effect on our self-esteem and mood.Get a tattoo.
More permanent than a haircut, a tattoo can be a fun way to document your values, friendships, or milestones.
Be sure you consider carefully what you want and shop around for the best artist.
If you and your significant other don't have a date night at all, set aside time each week (or at least each month) to be together doing things you love; it can help strengthen your relationship.
If you do have a regular date night but it has become a predictable routine (dinner and a movie, anyone?), add some variety to your time together so that your relationship does not start to feel predictable and boring.Think of date night as a chance to reconnect and get to know more about each other.
Even if you've been together for years, seeing each other in new settings and trying new things can be a fun way to get to know parts of each other you haven't seen before.
Do something outside your normal routine; consider taking dancing lessons, going rock climbing, taking a couples' painting class, or taking cooking lessons.
For a cheaper alternative to art and cooking lessons, improvise at home: buy a nice bottle of wine and a few canvases and paints at your local hobby store, then shop the ingredients for a fancy gourmet meal (the internet is full of great recipes).
Add some romantic music and your evening is set! , Sometimes we get into a rut with our existing friendships and forget how to make new ones.
Studies show the more relationships you have with people you care about and who care about you, the less likely you are to experience depression.
Friendship also helps you deal with stress and rebound from disappointment.If you and your best friends always end up talking about the same subjects when you are together, it might be because you don't have enough common frames of reference to make interesting conversation.
You need to share many experiences in order to build up a base of memories and common friends, instead of meeting up for coffee or drinks, think outside the box when you plan your girls' or guys' night out.
Catch a great concert, set fitness goals together (for instance, to train for a marathon), or learn a new hobby or skill together to give you more great topics for conversation.
Making new friends can be tough; the key is to try to find someone in the same stage of life as you.If you're single and/or childless, try going to a new club, church, bar or other social setting; look for other folks who seem eager for someone to talk to and chat with them.
If you have young children, plan play dates with other parents or look online for local meet-ups and playgroups. , Work comprises the majority of our waking hours during the week, so make changes to ensure that your work isn't what is dragging you down with its redundancy.
Finding a new route to work.
Stop driving or walking down the same old streets.
Take a bicycle, or ride the bus, or just find a new route along different streets in town.
Starting your day with a new perspective triggers creativity and can set the tone for your workday.Ask for a new assignment.
If you've been working on repetitive or uninteresting projects, ask your supervisor if there are any other projects you might work on.
Look for a new job.
If your job is the main culprit in your feelings of repetitiveness, consider what types of careers might be more interesting and offer more opportunities for different experiences each day.
Try taking a career aptitude test (search online for many examples) to see what you're well-suited for, then start looking in your area for a new position.
Be sure you don't quit your current job until you have something else lined up in writing, or else you might end up out of work. , Even if you can't change other aspects of your life, you can alter the parts that are in your own control to add more variety.
Wake up earlier.
Instead of rushing to get ready in the morning and then running late, get up an hour earlier than you normally do and go for a run outside.
This will help your mood, alleviate your anxiety, ward off illness by boosting your immune system, and let you enjoy the best part of the day as you run.Try a new bar or restaurant.
Sticking to the same haunts every weekend is dull and prevents you from meeting new people and trying new things.
Consider an ethnic cuisine you've never had or a bar with local music.
Pick up a new hobby or art form.
Perhaps you have always wanted to try needlepoint, tennis, or rock-climbing.
Something new to do on weekends can help alleviate your boredom and add variety to life, and give you something to look forward to when the week feels long and dreary.
About the Author
Joyce Green
Enthusiastic about teaching practical skills techniques through clear, step-by-step guides.
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