Novelty: Why You Need It And How To Get It
Novelty is one of our deepest human yearnings. It helps us resist the mundane and keep our lives colorful.
After a rough year, you might be ready to shed your 2020 self and start fresh. And a simple way to start feeling like a new person is through new experiences.
Novelty is one of our deepest human yearnings. We resist the mundane and wish our lives could be more colorful. Novelty is so effective because it creates new feelings. These new feelings spark new thoughts. Your new thoughts lead to new behaviors. And new behaviors create a new life.
You may be at a place where you only need a little more novelty in your life. Or you might need some big changes. Whatever amount of novelty you need, I’ve organized a list of ways you can add more novelty in your life. Find the suggestions that work best for your time, energy, resources and needs right now.
Simple and Easy Daily Practices
These practices are small and inexpensive. But they can still be novel enough to create change. Personally, I am always reading a new book. And this has proved to be a sure way sparks new feelings and thoughts. Each book I finish inspires me to interact with my world differently.
— Listen to new music
— Read a new book
— Try a new restaurant (or a new dish at your favorite restaurant)
— Use a different toothpaste
— Go to a new grocery store
— Take a different route to work
— Order a different drink
— Rearrange your furniture
— Wear mismatching socks
— Establish a new routine
— Spend time with someone you haven’t seen in a while
— Keep a gratitude journal
— Meditate for 5 minutes every day
— Invest in new fragrances (candles, air fresheners, perfume, cologne, flowers)
— Reach out to someone new (neighbor, coworker, someone online)
— Wake up 15 minutes earlier
— Go to bed 15 minutes earlier
A Little More Time and Resources
If you have a little more time and resources available, this list will really help you see more novelty in your life. They are still accessible. But if done consistently, they can have a big effect on your life.
— Learn a new hobby
— Take an online course
— Change your diet
— Buy new shoes
— Visit a museum
— Attend a sporting event or concert
— Clean out your home
— Volunteer
— Buy new bedding
— Get a new hairdo
— Go for a weekend getaway
— Start a new exercise routine
— Wake up 30 minutes earlier
— Go to bed 30 minutes earlier
Big Experiences For Big Change
This list requires more commitment. But everything on it will dramatically change who you are. The items on this list force a lot of novelty at one time. And this is one of the quickest ways to start feeling like a new person.
— Travel to new cities and/or countries
— Get a pet
— Move to a new home
—Attending Therapy
— Change jobs
— Buy new furniture
— Hire a personal trainer
—Attend a conference or seminar
— Get a new wardrobe
— Drink a gallon of water a day
— Give up junk food
— Wake up an hour earlier
— Go to bed an hour earlier
Conclusion: Create New Feelings, Create a New Life
Adding more novelty to your life will create the change you need. The bigger the novelty, the bigger its effects. Your main goal is to change your feelings. Then everything else will follow.
If you are constantly anxious, strive to spark more calm and peace in your day to day. You can do this by keeping a gratitude journal, meditating, and considering a new, less stressful job.
If you are overwhelmed, go to bed and wake up an hour earlier. Establish a new routine by dropping unnecessary commitments. And learn a hobby that can act as a healthy outlet for you.
Novelty creates experiences that force you to respond in a new and interesting way. And this forces you to bloom into a new person.
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