Is It Time for Something Different?

Do you have a set routine for your weekends? Do you follow the same pattern of activities that make Saturday and Sunday different from the rest of the week? Or do you surrender to the gods of spontaneity and open the weekend to chance and whatever surprises might show up? And why is this relevant?

From a behavioural perspective, we tend to prefer recognisable patterns and predictable events, situations that remove surprises and unexpected events. It’s how we evolved. In our distant past, change often implied risk and the potential threat of danger. It’s no surprise that we grew to prefer the certainty of continuity and an environment that favoured our survival. But that’s when inertia can interfere with our ability to adapt to change. That’s how life can become a little stale and predictable. There’s nothing like a change of scene and a fresh challenge to stimulate our creativity and help us to feel excited and alive. And all it takes is a small adjustment to the weekend agenda and a decision to try something new. Does that sound like a good idea? It really couldn’t be simpler.

We’re all sensitive to changes in the environment. So, a few hours spent away from home, walking in the countryside, is a potent tonic for lifting the mood, oxygenating the brain cells and recharging the batteries. When we experience a change in scenery and step into nature, we feel more connected with our environment. We notice colours and become aware of subtleties in the trees and leaves and bushes, archaic faculties that helped us develop into the world’s most efficient stone age hunters. Your senses are stimulated and your perception expands beyond the narrow confines of your cell phone to take in the broad vista of your surroundings. It’s a deeply calming and restorative tonic for your entire being. It’s a wonderful contrast to the narrow confines of your typical weekend where you might operate on automatic pilot and slip into the old, predictable habits of thinking and feeling that obscure your potential for feeling truly alive and well. Find a way to change your weekend routine and open your heart to a more profound experience of being alive in every sense of the word.?

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