The benefits of trying something new

It's often said that “life begins at the end of your comfort zone”. However, trying something new can sometimes be overwhelming. Oftentimes, we aren’t great at things we do the first time and this can leave us feeling vulnerable. The trick then is to be persistent in whatever it is you are doing, and overtime you will develop a great new skill you did not have before.

We encourage you to stop and think for a moment about when was the last time you tried something new. This doesn't have to be trying something like skydiving or swimming with sharks, it could be as simple as trying a new recipe for dinner or signing up for your first ever marathon. All too often, we postpone trying new things for “when my children have grown”, or “when work is less busy” or even “when the weather is busy”. Routine is important for us to develop habits and be successful, but sometimes mixing it up is the best way to grow!

Trying something new is a great way to also get to know yourself better. You’ll learn what you like, and what you don't like – and these things will be totally unique to you! Beyond what you like and don’t like, you’ll learn what stimulates you, what makes you more creative, what brings you more joy and so on. You may discover you like both wheel thrown pottery and gardening, but one makes you more creative and the other makes you more focused!

In the end, it doesn't matter whether what you do becomes a daily ritual or something you forget about after a few weeks. Either way, your brain and spirit will thank you. Your brain, just like your body, needs to remain active - and a large part of this is done by giving it new things to stimulate and boost it. Giving your brain a new thing to think about will improve your focus, and cognitive health, allowing you to stay fresh and active in the long term.

Monotony can leave you feeling uninspired and indeed a bit bored. Trying new things exposes you to different experiences and emotions. From simple tasks to really daring and challenging one's - life is too short to do the same thing over and over again. We encourage you to reflect on where there is room to add a new thing in your life, and then go from there. You may find that trying new things is addictive.