If you’re anything like me, it’s hard to sit still, and all too easy fall into a routine that doesn’t let you get the most out of your life. Routines are great for some things, like eating healthy and exercise! But for me, routines of how I like to spend my free time are often uninspiring. My favorite escape from the daily grind is by far travel, but for some, that’s unreasonable. I’ve started looking to simple solutions to break the boredom cycle in my daily life.
Change Your Routine
This one may sound like a no brainer, but do you go to the same 5 restaurants every single week? Do you make the same meals? Do you frequent the same coffee shops? Well, I know that I fall into that routine. This is a really simple way to keep life new and interesting. Look to Pinterest for some awesome new recipe inspiration. You might even learn your new favorite recipe in the process! I also look for new restaurants to try and experiment with. About a month ago, Brighton and I tried this Greek restaurant that’s near our house. It turned out to be an epic fail— the food was overpriced and not tasty. We also recently tried this cute taco place in downtown SLC. We discovered it’s cheap and really awesome tacos with a cool environment. Whether whatever you try is an epic fail or a huge success, you have taken a step outside your comfort zone and know you can expand your horizons a little further. Small changes can shift your perspective.
Try a New Hobby
My friends who know me well know that I will try anything once…especially if I get a good story out of it! (Of course, this is within reason and not something that is immediately put my life in extreme danger. I like being alive and I want to keep it that way.) I get great enjoyment out of being able to say “Yeah, I’ve tried that!” In my early high school years, I decided that while I enjoyed playing soccer, I really didn’t get lasting enjoyment out of it. My sister talked to me about potentially running a 5K. While running without much of a purpose or destination had never sounded fun to me before, I decided to give it a shot. Running that first 5K turned in running a 10K, 15K, half marathon, and eventually a full marathon. It also resulted in me interested in the event directing field as a career. While you may end up not pursuing the hobby that you try, at least you gave it a fair shot and you learned from the experience. Recently I learned that I really like Cross Country Skiing! Next winter, I would like to try to make it a habit. (The snow is mostly gone as we are going into spring here in Salt Lake).
Reach Out to New Friends
Recently, I discovered a local blogger’s site while searching for hikes in SLC. After we had connected through our blogs a couple times, she emailed me asking to meet up. It turns out we have a lot in common and similar hobbies! While I cannot remember who made the initial contact, Katie took a leap of faith to ask me to connect and we both gained a friend. As someone who doesn’t have an entire friend base from high school or college in the area, I really enjoy meeting new friends in the area.
I’ve also met some friends through Meetup! There are all sorts of groups for different hobbies, sports, activities, dating, religions, etc. There is something for everyone on this site. I met one of my good friends in Salt Lake City through a hiking meet up!
The other positive of reaching out to new people is that you might meet someone who will expand your horizons even more and introduce you to a new perspective in the world.
Be a Tourist in Your Own City
This almost seems like an oxymoron as I write it, but think about it! Brighton and I traveled about an hour and a half from our home and found a whole new type of canyon and even a natural hot springs. As I mentioned earlier, we as humans have this tendency to fall into a routine and stay within our comfort zone. Chances are, you haven’t experienced all of the awesome experiences within your own community!
Brighton and I hiking within 1 hour of Salt Lake!
You would be surprised how little people experience in their own city. I have met many SLC locals who have been born and raised here and have never been to any of the national parks, never been skiing, never been hiking some of the super popular and scenic hikes, or other similar “touristy” activities. I am shocked by this! Salt Lake has a lot going on, but people don’t take the time to get out of their comfort zone. It doesn’t have to be any of these activities, but if you look on TripAdvisor or even local bloggers’ sites to see what’s available in your area, you’re bound to find some nuggets of excitement.
Visiting the Salt Lake City Temple with Erica
Bonus Tip: Go experience different areas and activities in each season! That’s the beauty of the seasons– It’s always changing 🙂
Get Inspired… With Pinterest!
When all else fails, and I am really struggling to break my cycle without breaking the bank (to travel somewhere exotic, let’s be real), I look to Pinterest for some local inspiration. I use Pinterest to find new blogs and ideas for activities in my area. Sometimes I’ll stumble upon some bloggers who lead super interesting lives and I live vicariously through their writing if I’m unable to get out there myself depending on whatever might holding me back (finances, distance, time, etc.). You never know, you might stumble upon your next best idea!
How do you break up your routine to keep life interesting? How do you get yourself out of a rut? Talk to me!
