Does every day feel the same? These 7 things can help.
Life can be monotonous at times. You get up, brush your teeth, go to work, come home, have dinner, and go to bed. The next day, same thing. Next day, same thing.
Or maybe that’s not your day. Monday is garbage day. Sunday is laundry day, unless you have kids, in which case every day that you have the time and the energy to do laundry is laundry day!
Or maybe not! Maybe your day is different.
The point is life can get monotonous when you have a long-standing routine of responsibilities to accomplish. And that monotony can make every day feel the same, which isn’t fantastic for your well-being.
What can you do about it? Is there a way to break up the monotony? Thankfully, there are quite a few ways!
1. Reframe your monotonous day into something more positive.
Gratitude is a powerful tool for cultivating happiness and peace of mind. On the one hand, you can look at a monotonous day and think, “How boring my life is. I wish I could do something more exciting or live a more adventurous life.” But, on the other hand, the days feeling the same can be such a blessing because “exciting” days may not be positive.
There are a lot of folks out there who would kill for monotonous days because their exciting days are not good at all.
So instead of telling yourself that you have a boring or monotonous life, try telling yourself that you have a stable and grounded life. Appreciate it. Be thankful for it. Be thankful that things are steady and going well enough to be monotonous.
One big reason to be grateful for a stable life is that you can then introduce excitement into your days on your own terms instead of having it batter down your door.
2. Break up your routine.
If every day feels the same, then one solution would be to make things not the same. It’s time for a change or some excitement.
It may be time to take a short vacation or do something new with your life. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy. You can opt to take a small day trip to a neighboring city to see some of the sites there. Look for a travel guide of interesting places to see in your own city. There might be something new or interesting to discover that you aren’t aware of.
Take up a new hobby. See if you can get into an adult’s sports league or some other kind of activity. Take a class at a local art center or crafting store so you can learn something new and create something.
Pro tip: a group activity will be better than a solitary one (for most people) because you can meet some new people and make friends. And new friends will definitely help you break up the monotony of regular life.
Do things that you aren’t necessarily even a fan of. Maybe you don’t like sports. But it still might be refreshing and exciting to go watch a local team play because you’re in a new situation with a more energetic atmosphere. It can be fun to watch other people having a good time.
3. Get out, get some fresh air, and exercise.
Sometimes, the days can feel the same and run together because we aren’t active enough. The human body was made to move. Unfortunately, we spend so much time sitting behind desks or standing around at work that we often neglect getting that exercise.
And for some people, exercise turns into their own personal battery. Sure, they get tired from exercising when they’re exercising. Still, it also provides a great deal of additional energy throughout the day and promotes better sleep at night.
These things can help boost the mood-producing chemicals your brain needs, improve your overall mood, and make you feel happier with your day. So even if it’s just a walk around the block a few times a week, it may help.
4. Try some new foods.
Not everyone has the means to just take a vacation or break when they need to. Sometimes life just bears down on you and you have to keep riding out. Unfortunately, that’s how it goes sometimes. But one thing you can do that is quite accessible is try some new foods.
Pick one day during the week when you have an opportunity to cook. Hop on social media or a recipe site and find something that looks tasty that you can whip up. If you’re in a relationship, this can also be a great couple’s activity for some quality bonding time and extra fun.
It doesn’t have to be expensive or anything fancy. Just different. Make a dish that you wouldn’t normally eat. Look into the cuisine of different regions. Mexican, Mediterranean, or Asian food are all great places to start.
5. Set some goals to work toward.
Sometimes you may feel like you’re living a boring life because you’re not working toward something. Sometimes when you’re working toward something, it may not feel like you’re making forward progress. The solution to both problems is setting goals.
The S.M.A.R.T. goal setting system is a simple, effective way to set goals to get you to the kind of life you want to live. A S.M.A.R.T. goal should be:
Specific – Don’t be vague with your goal. Instead of saying, “I want to get fit.” You would instead say something like, “I am going to exercise for a half-hour every morning.”
Measurable – There is a specific success or failure requirement to the goal. Either you exercise for a half-hour a day, or you do not.
Actionable – As in reasonable. The goal is something that you can actually do. “I’m going to exercise four hours every day.” isn’t reasonable for most people, unless you’re a professional athlete or something like that.
Relevant – The goal is relevant to your much larger goal. “I want to get fit” is fine for a big goal, and exercising for a half-hour a day will get you closer to that goal.
Time-bound – You specify when and for how long you will be working on the goal. Every day you will exercise for a half-hour in the morning.
The great part of a goal-setting system is that it will trigger the reward circuits in your brain and provide you with a little boost of endorphins when you accomplish something, assuming everything in your brain is working as it should be. People with depression may not have the same kind of success activating those reward circuits because of their mental health. Still, goal-setting can be a fantastic way to pour some more color into your day.
6. Create something.
Art and creation are wonderful nourishment for the human spirit. By spirit, we’re not talking about anything esoterical like the soul. Instead, we’re talking about the human need for beauty, curiosity, and fulfilling those emotional needs.
Do something creative, even if you don’t think you’re a creative person. Has there been anything that has ever interested you that you thought you may want to try but never got around to? Look up some videos or creators offering beginner’s lessons and dive into it. All you need is a pencil and some paper to do some doodling.
Still, you may find that getting out of the house to a function is a better choice. Maybe a local art center is offering some oil painting or improv classes. So get out and create something.
“But I’m not good at it!” The people that say that are missing the point of creating. It’s not about being good. It’s about actually doing the thing and completing the project so you can look at it and say, “I made this.” And find pride in that.
Besides, art is like any other skill; if you want to be good, you must regularly work at being good. It takes practice, practice, practice, and more practice. And if you aren’t trying to add another thing to your regular routine, then trying to be good at art isn’t the right call.
Also, why do you need to be good? It’s not a competition. You’re not trying to earn a living from it. Create whatever you want, however you want.
7. Talk to a professional.
Sometimes the problem is much bigger than what we realize. For example, it may be that you’re experiencing depression or burnout, which is preventing you from enjoying your life.
Suppose you are trying different things to improve your situation and nothing seems to be working. In that case, the next step should be to talk to a qualified mental health professional who can assess what you’re dealing with and provide you with a better answer.
Many people experience a thing called “situational depression.” This is because they are currently experiencing some problems or difficulties that are causing them to be depressed. With everything going on in the world and the stress of daily life, it’s easy to find yourself slipping down a hole that you may not know how to get out of.
It’s okay if you need some additional help. We all sometimes do.
