Although it has now been awhile, I took some time off during the middle of one of my work days for a NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) event. The event itself was great, and I actually felt like I had done something important during that time as well. I am not going to get into the details of the event on this current post, but today I wanted to focus on how good it can be to step out of your regular routine (that is, assuming you have a regular routine).
For some reason, I always feel surprised when this happens, but in hindsight this almost always seems to be the case. Breaking up your regular routine can be so rewarding. For me, I think it is easy to feel like I am doing the same things day in and day out. I have days where I wonder what might pop up and make it different, but I don’t always notice or take the time to determine what is special about each day. I think stepping out of your regular routine can also change your perspective and open your mind. Once I’ve done something different from the usual (vacation, take the day off, take a long lunch break, etc.) my world seems bigger and better from the very small focus I had before. For me, it is so easy to get wrapped up in my own little world – changing things up and stepping outside my regular routine can help remind me that the world has so much more than what my brain will limit me to sometimes.
How about you? Do you feel like you are doing the exact same things day in and day out? Is there a way you can change up your routine every now and then or more frequently? To me, breaking up a routine can be refreshing, and I encourage you to take the opportunity to see if doing so inspires you as well.