"Be the weirdo who dares to enjoy." ― Elizabeth Gilbert, 'Big Magic'
Are you feeling stuck in a rut? Today is a great opportunity to explore new interests and expand your horizons! Remember, hobbies and passions are more than just fun; they’re excellent avenues for self-expression and personal growth. Diving into activities you’ve never tried might uncover hidden talents and reignite your zest for life. Embrace this chance to gain new skills or simply enjoy your life and make it happier.
This article offers thoughts on starting something new and a list of things with cool ideas. Embrace our ideas and craft your bucket list. Fulfill your dreams, explore new skills, try exciting experiences, and savor every moment of this beautiful journey called life!
Getting out of your comfort zone
"Let me list for you some of the many ways in which you might be afraid to live a more creative life: You’re afraid you have no talent. You’re afraid you’ll be rejected or criticized or ridiculed or misunderstood or—worst of all—ignored. You’re afraid there’s no market for your creativity, and therefore no point in pursuing it. You’re afraid somebody else already did it better. " – Elizabeth Gilbert, 'Big Magic'
Motivational trainers and coaches constantly emphasize that you must go beyond the boundaries of a comfortable and familiar environment to achieve success and self-realization. But what does it mean? From a psychological perspective, the brain views constancy and comfort zones as optimal conditions for life. You might feel lazy and even scared to begin something new.
Begin with simple, achievable tasks to build a strong foundation for more complex accomplishments. Expanding your comfort zone fosters personal growth, helping you develop skills and knowledge that may have once seemed out of reach. Adding new activities and experiences contributes to personal development and enhances overall quality of life.
"Becoming a creature of discomfort can unlock hidden potential in many different types of learning. The best way to accelerate growth is to embrace, seek, and amplify discomfort." ― Adam M. Grant, 'Hidden Potential'
Easy and simple activities to start today
"Anyhow, the older I get, the less impressed I become with originality. These days, I’m far more moved by authenticity. Attempts at originality can often feel forced and precious, but authenticity has quiet resonance that never fails to stir me." ― Elizabeth Gilbert, 'Big Magic'
Nothing develops you like new activities and fresh experiences. Therefore, trying something you've never done before, overcoming indecision or even fear of possible failure, is a highly effective tactic for getting out of your comfort zone.
You rediscover the meaning and value of life when you find your hobbies and passions. They allow you to delve into a particular area, develop your skills, discover new opportunities, and find pleasure in your work. In addition, hobbies and passions help you relax, relieve stress, and forget about everyday problems. New activities are a kind of rest and an energy source.
Trying out a new recipe
Cooking is a great way to relieve stress and lift your mood. It can also be relaxing if you enjoy cutting, setting the table with new dishes, and delighting someone you know with your homemade food. Try buying new vegetables or other ingredients at the store that you don't usually buy and cooking them according to a recipe from a cookbook! It will be even more atmospheric. These recipes can be from different cuisines around the world.
As a nice bonus, you can learn to use balanced ingredients to improve your health. If you cook eggs every morning, try finding healthy and tasty new recipes, like avocado toast or a fresh fruit smoothie, and your mornings will be more pleasant.
Uncover hidden gems right in your neighborhood!
Explore your city, town, or village by bike, and find historical landmarks you haven't noticed before. Pay attention to natural changes during your walks in the local parks, hiking trails, and botanical gardens. Take stunning photos and share them on social media. You can see familiar places with a fresh perspective. During cycling or walking, you can listen to pleasant music or a podcast that interests you or read a book summary on the Headway app. During such active recreation, the human body secretes dopamine and serotonin, hormones of happiness and joy. These hormones directly affect your mood, emotional state, and well-being.
Visit your local library
Often, people are distracted by scrolling or watching videos and don't find time to read. Try something new: go to your local library and choose a book to motivate your reading. Make going to the library a pleasant ritual. Set aside a day on your calendar and make it a habit. This will motivate you to read books on time and make new ones. Take your favorite coffee with you if your local library allows it. And set aside time to read right there and be in silence, where no one will distract you.
Creative new hobbies to explore
"A creative life is an amplified life. It’s a bigger life, a happier life, an expanded life, and a hell of a lot more interesting life. Living in this manner—continually and stubbornly bringing forth the jewels that are hidden within you—is a fine art, in and of itself." ― Elizabeth Gilbert, 'Big Magic'
Handcraft is a way to spend time with benefits, get rid of stress, find harmony, decorate the house, and create an original gift for loved ones. It’s an art of self-expression, a unique way to express yourself and your individuality. It allows you to create amazing things that reflect your inner feelings. Quiet, focused work helps calm the nerves and restore inner harmony.
Spark your creativity with a DIY project
You can escape the monotony of everyday life and express your creativity, bringing your fantasies to life. DIY also yields unique and relatively affordable items unavailable in the mass market. However, few are aware that crafting can also have genuine therapeutic benefits. You can express your creativity and, at the same time, make your home more comfortable and unique with macramé wall hangings, personalized candles with your favorite scents, and upcycled home decor (decorate an old mirror or repaint a piece of furniture).
Have you ever tried origami?
It’s one of the oldest types of leisure, an art form that developed at the beginning of the 12th century, not only in Japan. Origami originated from the Japanese words "ori" and "gami," which means "to fold paper." Folding origami figures is painstaking work involving the detailed execution of precise actions. Sometimes, you need to perform several dozen actions, lasting minutes to hours sequentially, to get the final result.
Create a collage photo album
A collage results from value-based thinking: you can see value in what has no value for anyone else: old magazines, newspapers, pieces of colored paper, sheet music, books, old photos, maps, tickets, and wallpaper. A photo collage is a work of art made from photographs or parts of photographs, sometimes with the addition of drawn elements and inscriptions.
Unique experiences to broaden your horizons
"Learning requires trying new things, and sometimes new things don’t work as expected." The good news, he says, is that "failure creates a powerful learning cocktail, mixing new ideas with novel information and a motivation to experiment." But only if you keep an open mind." ― Michael Hyatt, 'Your Best Year Ever'
Traveling involves stepping out of your comfort zone and into the unknown. You leave behind familiar surroundings and people, challenging yourself to be flexible, adaptable, and open to new experiences.
Explore new cities
Traveling also allows you to witness the natural and cultural wonders of the world. You can marvel at majestic mountains, explore diverse flora and fauna, and admire architectural masterpieces. First, explore on the map which towns are nearby in your state that you have never been to. You can plan several trips a year. One weekend - a new city or town.
If you have the opportunity to go abroad - these are unforgettable impressions. Therefore, before that - look at the prices of tickets. In the off-season, you can grab cheap air tickets and visit cities in other countries economically. Take a guided tour to learn about history, visit museums showcasing centuries of art and artifacts, or practice a new language with locals at cafes or markets. If you're heading to a foreign city, learn key phrases to engage with the community and make your experience more rewarding.
Go on a road trip
Experienced travelers can confirm that it is best to travel by car. This method gives you complete freedom of action regarding time and route choice. It also lets you visit large tourist cities, little-known, completely unhyped places, and natural attractions.
Ideally, you should have an approximate travel plan, view the route on the map, and download it if the Internet is unstable. Necessities (such as taking a tent and spending one or more nights camping) and fun company are the recipe for an unforgettable journey.
Mark gas stations, cafes, hotels, and service stations on the map. Use the Roadtrippers app, which is designed to help you plan and take the perfect road trip. It suggests route options, reminds you of interesting places, and provides useful travel resources. En route, find interesting places that you can visit to diversify your journey: scenic spots for Insta photos, museums, architectural monuments, and charismatic towns. Try to communicate with local people in different villages.
Travel is an opportunity to adapt to new situations, solve unexpected problems, communicate with strangers, and immerse yourself in different environments. You’ll confront your beliefs, limitations, and stereotypes along the way.
Attend local events or festivals
Patrick Fagan, a behavioral psychologist, conducted a study that showed that regular concert attendance extends life expectancy. Even a 20-minute concert increases a person's well-being by 21%.
You may already have such experience, but if not, it's worth trying for the first time! Various festivals are available, including music festivals (rock, folk, jazz, classical), film festivals, and book fairs. Сheck out the events in your city or town, and plan to attend a cultural event once every few months or every month. It can be a theater performance or a concert. This is a great opportunity to invite someone from your friends, colleagues, or relatives and spend time together or have a date with a loved one in an unusual way.
Wellness and self-improvement ideas
"Happiness comes from being who you actually are instead of who you think you are supposed to be." ― Shonda Rhimes, 'Year of Yes'
Many people wish for someone to always care for them. Although such a person may not always be present, you can be that person for yourself. Global self-care involves small, everyday actions.
Establish self-care routines
Self-care is a necessity that should become a daily habit. Self-care is about harmonizing your body and mind, relieving stress, and making yourself your primary goal. Self-care is not about indulging in every whim, shopping on Amazon daily, or self-indulgence.
Create morning or evening skin and hair care rituals just for you. Cleanse and moisturize your face every day when it's convenient for you. The best option is to do it in the morning and the evening after a hard day. Practice setting aside time once a week for face and hair masks. Following these simple rituals will give you a shinier appearance and lift your mood exactly.
Strengthen your body—give pilates a try
Pilates is a series of smooth, controlled movements and deep breathing to strengthen the body’s core, improving posture and balance. It is also a great way to tighten your figure, which requires no expenses. You can even do pilates at home. Regular training helps relieve muscle tension and improve balance and coordination. Reduce back pain. Attempt Pilates and you will feel how your body works harmoniously!
Enrich your mental health with meditations
The benefits of meditation are numerous, from a healthy brain to stress reduction! Due to our hectic and stressful lives, meditation has become a trend in recent years. You can find guided meditations on YouTube and in special apps, and there is an entire documentary, 'Headspace Guide to Meditation,' on Netflix about how to start meditating.
Meditation has many physiological benefits. It keeps your chromosomes young, helps improve focus, attention, memory, processing speed, and creativity, and may even slow down brain aging, counteracting the atrophy that can lead to dementia. By stimulating the production of endorphins, which give us a sense of well-being, meditation can improve mood, help curb anxiety, and reduce pain.
Social and community-based activities
"We have a very powerful myth in our culture, the myth of the self-made man or woman. But let’s be honest. There’s no such thing. Success requires help—and usually lots of it. It’s impossible to discount the influence of our social circle." ― Michael Hyatt, 'Your Best Year Ever'
Social projects and volunteering foster personal development, benefit others, and enhance the community around you. Recognizing your ability to impact others positively is truly energizing.
Make a new friend
Recent studies show a marked rise in loneliness among Americans. According to a Gallup survey conducted in October 2024, one in five U.S. adults reported feeling lonely daily.
Perhaps your neighbor seems nice, and sometimes you want to talk more but hesitate to start a conversation. This is also a sign of a comfort zone. Break this invisible boundary and start a conversation, even a small talk. A new person may appear in your circle of friends, and you will overcome your shyness and insecurity.
Scientists have determined that the key difference between the happiest and the unhappiest people is how many social connections they have. And they assure us that without friends, we have a higher chance of suffering from depression. One of the easiest ways to find a kindred spirit is to focus on an everyday activity. Take the initiative.
Host a meetup at your home, like a board game night
A cozy and fun game night will become your new favorite way to spend a Saturday night. The key is inviting guests, serving appropriate snacks, and creating a fun space for the game by clearing off the coffee table and considering additional comfortable seating. To add even more excitement to your party, come up with prizes for the winners of each game.
Spread kindness
Charity changes the lives of those who receive help and those who give it. Charity is getting involved in solving a social problem that worries you. Along the way, you can often meet like-minded people and expand your circle of friends. It can be a local food bank or animal care facility, or you could befriend disabled or isolated people.
"If I don't poke my head out of my shell and show people who I am, all anyone will ever think I am is my shell." ― Shonda Rhimes, 'Year of Yes'
Ignite your passion for new experiences with Headway
People feel happier when they visit new places and experience a wide range of emotions. Sometimes, it's hard to start something new or introduce habits into your life. That's why we offer motivational and inspiring book summaries in our library on the Headway app. To ignite your passion for new things in your life, we recommend these summaries:
'Hidden Potential' by Adam Grant
'Year of Yes' by Shonda Rhimes
Headway is a convenient tool for microlearning. Every day, you can spend a minimum of your time listening to or reading detailed summaries of self-help books and developing yourself in various topics. A summary is often enough to understand the key ideas of a book, and if the summary impressed you, then read the book cover to cover.
