KILL YOUR ROUTINE

Unless you’re one of the lucky people who begin each day not knowing what lies ahead, you’re probably held hostage by an unvarying routine. It’s hard not to get bored and frustrated by a life where each day is the same as the last. If you feel like you’re stuck in a similar rut and are yearning for a change, here are five things you can do to break the monotonous routine and rejuvenate yourself.

Dedicate time to a hobby

In the fast-paced lives that we all lead, it’s difficult to take out time for ourselves and do things that we enjoy. But it’s something that’s worthy of the effort it requires. Hobbies are a great way to break the endless cycle of work-commute-eat-sleep. Creative hobbies, such as writing, playing a musical instrument, painting, and cooking don’t only offer a welcome break from routine but have also been proven to improve everyday emotional well-being.

Change it up

If you want something to change in your life, it’s up to you to make it happen. Even small changes can go a long way to break the dull routine of everyday life. Something as simple as using an alternative route to get to work, or eating lunch at a new place, or watching a new TV show instead of watching the same ones on repeat will make each day seem different from the last.

Get away from the screen

We spend most of our waking hours staring at screens. Even if you don’t work with a computer, which is a rarity, smartphones are always there to demand your constant attention. From the moment we wake up to the minute before we sleep, and everything in between, we don’t go more than a few minutes without looking at a screen. The problem is, when we spend our time in the office working on a computer all day and then return home and spend all our time on our phones, computers, or TVs, it feels like we’re doing the same thing as we were doing at work. Taking a break from the screen is crucial to give your mind a breather and refresh yourself.

Travel

Nearly everyone dreams of one day traveling the world and seeing all those picturesque postcard destinations that fill our Instagram feeds. But the lack of time and money often ruin our grand plans. That doesn’t mean you can’t travel at all though. Even a short trip with friends to a nearby destination on a long weekend is a good way to relax and refresh yourself. If that isn’t possible, you can always travel within the city as well. Instead of spending your Fridays sleeping for absurd durations, you can head out and explore new restaurants, parks, and theatres which you haven’t yet visited. And if you don’t want to do even that, there’s another, easier alternative: reading.

Read

Reading is the quickest, easiest, and most affordable escape from reality that you will ever get. And I don’t mean reading self-help blogs or news or non-fiction business books. I’m talking about fiction and fantasy books that transport you to a different world where your everyday problems cease to exist and your imagination goes into overdrive. Books are an instant portal to another dimension, one which can be accessed anywhere you may be. Whether you’re in the middle of a traffic jam on the way to work or trying to forget about work before you sleep, reading a book is the best way to break free of the routine that dictates your life.

There are a few other effective but unfeasible ways to break the monotony of your day-to-day life. Moving to a new home or finding a new place to work from (if your job doesn’t require you to go to the office each day) can help you change things for the better. One thing is clear though – if you find yourself stuck in a boring routine, only you can do something to get out of it. So, pick one from this list and get going.