How often do you get stuck in the same old rut?
I enjoy crossword puzzles. Sometimes crossword clues are intentionally misleading. Sometimes they are perfectly straightforward but my brain gets stuck in a particular rut that keeps me from seeing the right answer. For example, a recent clue read, “signs of frequent travel.” My immediate mental image was a person who traveled, and I racked my brain for what would signify a person traveled frequently: jet lag? A tan? A battered passport?
It turns out I was stuck in a mental rut. The clue referred to a road, not a human traveler—and the correct answer was “ruts”.
It’s perfectly normal for us to stick with our habitual way of living—we’re designed to develop and follow habits. However, it’s good for our brains and our souls to break out of those habitual ruts now and then.
Summer is a great time to take the initiative and break out of our ruts by trying something new. Be warned, though—it won’t happen if you don’t plan ahead. Life has a way of steamrolling our good intentions, so make the effort to do a little research today and get at least one of these ideas on your summer schedule.
Simple ways to climb out of the rut this summer.
- If you are going to your usual summer vacation spot, visit a place (shop, restaurant, museum) you haven’t been to before. Or, try out a local activity or park you’ve never gotten around to visiting.
- If you are vacationing someplace new, great—you’re already breaking out of the rut. While you’re researching the “must see” spots of that locale, don’t forget to snoop out a few less obvious ones too.
- Wherever you go this summer, opt for local eateries rather than sticking with the franchise places you’ve already eaten at dozens of times before.
- Hanging out at home with the kids or grandkids? Invent an out-of-the-box activity or two. Here are some ideas to get you started:
- Hold your own Olympics: events might include three-legged races, hula hoop contests, bubble-blowing, or whatever will be fun.
- Create a backyard obstacle course. Lawn chairs, a length of hose, and other odds and ends from the garage can be used to create hours of fun.
- Build a Rube Goldberg Raid the garage, basement or toy box for useful parts and see how creative you can get.
- Get crafty. Search the internet for fun ideas that use stuff you already have on hand.
- Take advantage of free fun. Check the local paper for free events near you. Many cities hold concerts or plays in the park. Churches and other local groups offer free events too. Free events are a low-risk way to try something new.
- Watch a lesser-known sports team. Forget the major leagues. A small city near you probably has a minor league ball team. Larger cities may have sports teams you’ve never heard of. And don’t forget college teams compete in a wide variety of sports, from rowing to golf to tennis. For example, Philadelphia has teams that play soccer, lacrosse, and ultimate frisbee.
- Schedule one-on-one days with your kids or grandkids. Select activities they have an interest in and spend a day absorbing a new experience together.
Which idea do you like best? May your summer be filled with new and interesting experiences!
