If you are anything like me, you can sometimes get stuck in a routine that seems to revolve around school/work, a few friends, and family, with little time for much else. There is nothing spontaneous about my life anymore except for the random trips to the grocery that I sometimes make after a day at work. However, going to the grocery store isn’t the most exciting thing I could be doing. That being said, I’ve been trying to find better ways to spend my time that may also result in having fun.
Here’s what I’ve come up with:
Change your workspace. Go out to a local coffee shop or a bookstore that you don’t frequent and take your work with you. Sometimes you just need to remove yourself from your usual setting and go somewhere new. I know as a college student, it was always nice to get off campus to write my papers so that I could have less distractions and honestly to just be in a place other than my dorm room. While most of you are not college students anymore, I still know that you are in need of change from time to time. So, grab a book or your laptop and head over to that cute coffee shop downtown and just enjoy some time out of the house.
If coffee shops aren’t your speed and you like the outdoors, try finding a spot with some nice trees and hammock for a while. There are plenty of cheap hammock with tree straps that allow you to relax anywhere. Another great option is to go spend some time on the water. Just grab a friend and go kayaking in the river. Some of most relaxing memories are when my small group of friends and I would up to our university’s lake and just float around for a few hours. There is something so calming about water and being in a kayak gets you about as close to the surface as you can without getting wet.
For our more creative readers, you may mind more joy in staying home while doing a craft. There is nothing wrong with this! Some days I just feel like sitting at home and painting a watercolor or even coloring. Plus, this means you don’t have to spend time in traffic trying to get to wherever you are going. So, if this you, stay at home and let those creative juices flow with a bit of watercolor or switch it up with something you haven’t tried before. If you are feeling more on the adventurous side one day you could even give photography a try just by wandering around your neighborhood. You will be surprised by the difference perspective you get to experience when viewing the world through a camera lens.
Whether your favorite place to get away is a somewhere far off the beaten path or just down the hall, you can find easy ways to be spontaneous in your everyday life. Taking the time to do something different with your time will help break up the mundane routine that we are faced with in this life and will give you a better sense of joy. Most times, your adventures will also give you a sense of being closer to the Father. You just have to be willing to take the first towards the happiness of a spontaneous life.