Do you feel like you’re stuck in a rut? Going nowhere, wondering why you do what you do and what you should do next? It may feel like you’re alone, but you’re not. Many people in the UK are creatures of habit, such has been the case for years even before a global pandemic briefly upended society. But this is small comfort. What you need to know is how to combat the blues; here are five ways you can reinvigorate your life, from the bottom to the top.
Get on Top of the Simple Things
It might sound patronising to begin with, but perfecting the most basic parts of your daily routine can have drastic effects on your mental wellbeing. Ensuring you get at least 7 hours sleep a night is crucial for turning things around in your head. Not only are you giving yourself the chance to feel more rested, but you’re giving your body and brain time to recuperate and regenerate while you sleep, improving concentration, gut health and blood pressure in the process. Making hygiene tasks like brushing teeth, flossing and showering a regular part of your daily routine can also improve your self-esteem, making you more likely to attack the day with joie de vivre. The importance of exercise should never be understated too.
Change Your Job – Or Even Your Career Path
For many people, their line of work represents a significant chunk of their day-to-day life – and if that time is not fulfilling, it can lead to issues with self-worth and satisfaction in life. If your job isn’t quite working for you, you should not feel afraid to shop around for something new, or something better. You may feel like looking for work could mess with your job stability, but quite the opposite is true – fielding offers from other organisations gives you the upper hand, and not only enables you to choose a career you genuinely love, but also gives you a chance to leverage your offers against your current contract, potentially bagging more money in the process.
Permit Yourself to a Treat
It’s all to easy to prevent yourself from getting the things you know you want – even if you have the money set aside for them. Low self-esteem can result from falling into a rut, and can seriously affect notions of whether or not you “deserve” something. This paragraph is a tacit permission for you to spend that rainy-day money on the thing you’ve been wanting to buy; maybe it’s a round-the-world trip you’ve had your eye on; or maybe it’s something simpler, like a car upgrade to a Mercedes-Benz you’ve been after for some time. Whichever way you want to treat yourself, now is the time to do it.
Find New People
Loneliness can be a significant factor in feelings of low self-worth or listlessness – and with around 1 in 4 Brits experiencing acute loneliness at the height of the coronavirus pandemic, you’re not alone. A great way to counteract this is to pro-actively go about meeting new folk. If you have a favourite haunt in your area, get talking to the staff that work there, and you could maybe get introduced to other regulars. Online resources are also great for finding new communities centred around your interests. Talking to new people is a sure-fire way to change your perspective of your life as it stands, and could open the door to new experiences along the way.
Discover a New Hobby
Speaking of new experiences, periods of rest and low interest in life provide a unique opportunity – to find new things which could interest you. If there’s ever been anything you’ve wanted to try but been too afraid, or too busy, or simply too grey to try, now is the time. Even if there is a steep learning curve – for example, with amateur radio or car maintenance – the learning process can be a galvanising one, and reward in and of itself.