If you’re stuck in a rut, mixing up your routine may be all it takes to get your mojo back!
Have you ever felt stuck in a rut, like your whole entire life was just an endless parade of the “same old stuff”? Being bored with your life can definitely have a detrimental effect on your personal productivity, not to mention your mental health and enthusiasm for life! Sometimes, when we feel like this, it’s a wake-up call that we need to make some changes and maybe move out of our comfort zones and create some new routines. But before you decide to jump ship, quit your day job and move to Fiji to farm coconuts, check out this list of ten simple ways to mix it up, shift your vibe, and get your mojo back!
Stuck in a rut? Try these ten tips for getting your mojo back!
#1. Put your MP3 player (or CD player) on shuffle mode and listen to music that you haven’t heard in a while. When you’re stuck in a rut, hearing some old favourites can be an instant mood booster, especially when you hear something you forgot was an old favourite.
#2. Eat something different. If you’re a die-hard steak-and-potatoes fan, try the chicken (or even – gasp – a vegetarian dish). If you always get the chocolate ice cream, buy the butter pecan or the strawberry instead! Make it your new routine to cook something different, that you’ve never tried before, once a week.
#3. Turn the computer (and smart phone) off for a whole weekend. Can you go two whole days without checking your email or surfing the Internet? What will you do instead? The possibilities are endless…
#4. Try smiling at everyone you see for one whole day. See what kind of responses you get… do you find people seem friendlier than they did before? Are people smiling back at you? 🙂
#5. Go somewhere new. Check out somewhere in your own town that you’ve never been before: a museum, gallery or tourist attraction is a great way to view your own stomping grounds with new eyes.
#6. Read a book you wouldn’t normally read. If you’re usually a science-fiction fan, check out an action and adventure novel or a biography of a famous person you admire. If you’re stuck on what to try next, check out my list of recommended reading for something new!
#7. If you’re stuck in a rut and really feeling ready for a big shift, I highly recommend checking out your local Toastmasters. Learning to speak well and get comfortable in front of an audience will definitely stretch most people out of their comfort zones! (Bonus: improving your speaking skills means you’re likely going to rock that next business presentation you get “voluntold” for…)
#8. If your usual gym routine involves mostly just a treadmill, why not check out the elliptical machines, a spin class, or a yoga class? Adding new activities to your exercise regime not only adds some variety to your day, it can also rekindle your enthusiasm for your workout.
#9. If you don’t have a usual gym routine, try and get moving! You don’t need to go out and buy a fancy gym membership; just sneak some exercise into your day. Besides the obvious health benefits, getting regular exercise can also help to reduce your stress levels and can even increase your creativity.
#10. Try meditating! Most of the super-successful people in the world use some form of meditation on a daily basis, even if it’s just for a few minutes! There are many different ways to meditate, so it doesn’t necessarily mean listening to a gong while chanting “om”. You can even turn sweeping the floor or washing the dishes into a meditative exercise by being fully present in the moment, focusing on your breathing and on each movement you make.
When we feel stuck in a rut, sometimes all we need to do to shake ourselves out is start looking at things with a new perspective. Mixing it up and trying new things is a great way to shift your perspective on the events in your life without having to make major changes that you might not be ready for. Trying out these ten tips to improve your outlook on life and get your mojo back will stretch you; they will move you out of your comfort zone on a regular basis, making it easier for you add the spice of new experiences to your life without any really major upheavals. Adding even small elements of the unpredictable to your life in this way can definitely make things more fun, improve your mood and get you out of that rut!
Hi Nathalie,
These are great suggestions even if you aren’t feeling stuck in a rut! Thanks for making such a helpful list!
Hugs,
Carole
Thanks Carole — I’m glad you find them helpful! 🙂 I’ve been using #1 for the last couple of days, myself… it’s been fun hearing songs that I’d forgotten I even had in my music files!
This is the exact post i needed.
I’ve been listening to a lot of throw back songs…like ones in my bar days. They really do help.
Meditating is so difficult but it slows you down and removes you from whatever you were doing/thinking.
I’ve been turning off the computer a lot and my phone. Hopefully people won’t think that I’m just being a beeeeyotch 🙂
Hi Kim, and thanks so much for commenting! Aren’t those old songs the best ones? 🙂 Meditation can be hard to work into your day, but it doesn’t have to involve sitting around and chanting “om”. There are some really good guided meditations out that that you might find useful. And I’ll be releasing some of my own, soon, too! If you’re interested, I’ll be posting the info to my facebook page once they are available (the first one will be completely free, too!)