Recently I’ve had the urge to try some new things. Not big things, just small ones. Lots of small ones. New recipes for dinner, new cafes to be in, new blogs to read. I acquired (or renewed?) an interest in Ancient History and became very dedicated to making every curry in my beloved vegan Indian cookbook.
I started to wonder at this new inclination for something different, but as it started about the same time as we’d been in lockdown for weeks… the answer was clear.
I’m needing a change. I’m seeking something different.
And this makes sense right? We’re living and working in the same place, seeing the same people and as a result we’re experiencing less variety.
There is no novelty, so we start to create novel things to do or incorporate into our routine. This explains the sudden interest in baking by many people during lockdown.
So, being curious, I did a bit of reading and discovered that we all actually need novelty for our wellbeing.
Research has found that experiencing something new (in a safe way- where our brain does not detect a threat) activates the pleasure centres of the brain. We actually get a dopamine hit. And this need for novelty is not just important for now, during these challenging times, but is in fact a fundamental part of our general wellbeing.
I must say that this made sense to me instantly and I’m sure you’ll relate too. It’s when we stop experiencing new things and seeking out new learnings, trying anything new, that we get a bit stale and sometimes stuck. Don’t get me wrong, we certainly need routine and structure but what we also need is a sprinkle of novelty.
So how much novelty are you creating for yourself?
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