WELLBEING

How to get out of your comfort zone

Health news

If your daily habits are starting to make life feel predictable, you need to take action, says psychotherapist and mentalstrength coach Amy Morin: small changes can make a big difference. Here are a few tips to help broaden your horizons.

LAY OFF THE PLANNING

Sticking to a routine can be helpful for developing good habits, but having too much structure in your life is boring, tiring and robotic. Loosen (and lighten) up! Doing things differently helps your brain look at life from a new angle: it might spark new ideas, fuel a passion and give you more energy. You don’t need to make huge changes – small can be effective too. For instance, instead of eating dinner almost immediately after work, go for a walk first.

CHALLENGE YOURSELF

Competition is a great way to get you out of a rut. Give yourself a goal to reach every day, like seeing how fast you can run (or walk) 1km. Challenging yourself gives you something to look forward to and offers a sense of accomplishment.

EXPERIMENT

Try something different: get your hair cut; wear colour instead of black; sign up for an art class. Trying something new every week will stimulate you and help you find new ways of improving your life.

MAKE NEW FRIENDS

Switching up your social circle is one of the fastest strategies to get unstuck. Look for ways to reconnect with people you’ve lost touch with or find ways to meet new people.

If there are friends in your life who are dragging you down, limit your contact with them to reduce their influence on you.